translated into Latin as a singular comfort for the whole Christian world in those dangerous daies and this seemeth to be the same vpon which Martin Bucer gaue his learned censure In the fift and sixt yeere of K. Edward the former booke was reformed and brought to such singular perfection that Archbishop Cranmer offered in Q. Maries time so he might be assisted by a few moe learned men to defend it against all commers And profound Ridley affirmed that the whole Diuine seruice was formed and fashioned to the true veine of Scripture D. Tailour auouched that there was set out by K. Edward the whole Church seruice with great deliberation and aduice of the best learned of the Realme authorized by the whole Parliament fully perfected according to the rules of Christian Religion in euery behalfe that no Christian conscience can be any way offended with any thing therein conteined Yea Caluin himselfe though he misliked some things in our Liturgie yet tearmed them tolerable but I perswade my selfe that Caluin would not call any thing tolerable which he iudged impious therefore I suppose that in hi◠iudgement there was no impietie at all yet some in our Church haue refused subscription euen in regard of those things which Caluin thought tolerable But to come to the forme of Common praier as it was established by Q. Elizabeth ô what blessings hath the Lord vouchsafed the people of this land by meanes of that booke how many millions of soules haue receiued comfort by it how many thousands of learned men haue commended and defended it you shall heare one for all euen that iudicious Iewel in whose opinion it containeth nothing either disagreeing from holy Scripture or misbeseeming sober men And yet it hath pleased our gracious souerainge that some things should be explaned that the publike forme of praier might be free not onely from blame but from suspition wherefore our venerable Conuocation considering how this booke hath beene allowed by such a world of witnesses and published by the Soueraigne authoritie of most learned religious princes and being perswaded that it containeth nothing but that which may bee tolerated with a good conscience and pondering how this Church hath beene troubled with turbulent spirits and withall hoping that Subscription might be a means to preserue the peace of the Church how could they doe lesse than commend the vse of this booke and binde all that heereafter shall bee admitted either to the ministerie or to any Ecclesiasticall promotion by their seuerall Subscriptions to approoue the same Moreouer because it were intolerable that they which haue desired consecration and obtained it at the hands of our reuerend Bishops and that as we are constantly perswaded in such forme as is agreeable to the blessed word of God should speake against their owne orders or against that hand wherewith they were consecrated therefore it is requisite that they should subscribe to the second branch that is the booke of Consecration And to the end that they which publikely instruct others should be seasoned themselues with true religion and no gappe left open to false or curious doctrines it is most fit that they subscribe to the third and last that is the booke of the articles of religion and this also though in more seuere maner was Caluins aduice to the duke of Sommerset In al these points the Church of England requireth subscription and is therfore sharply censured by her owne children But they which are such admirers of forraine Churches abroad let them a little in this very point compare the Church of England with that famous Church of Geneua First the Church of England requireth subscription of the Ministers and not of the common people but the Church of Geneua vrgeth not the Ministers onely but the people also Secondlie the Church of England requireth this approbation that her rites are not contrarie to the word of God but the Church of Geneua will haue her discipline receiued in a more high and glorious maner Thirdly the Church of England contenteth her-selfe onely with subscription but the Church of Geneua is more peremptorie requiring a solemne oth 19 After Subscription followeth Consecration or Imposition of hands which in the Church of England is performed with such words of wisdome and in such maner as flesh and bloud should not take vpon them to controle 20 And as our Church is carefull to make good Ministers so she hath a singular regard in placing them And because many Patrons in placing their Clerks haue golden gifts in more precious account then gifts of grace therefore the Chuch of England hath prouidently appointed an oth against Symonie And heere I beseech all my brethren of the Ministerie in the bowels of Christ Iesus to make a conscience of this oth when they enter their liuings For how can they expect that God will blesse their proceedings if they shall make their beginnings with Symonie and colour it ouer with periurie 21 And as our Church is desirous that men may enter their liuings with a good conscience so she is graciouslie prouident that they may discharge their dutie when they are entred Wherefore the law prouideth for their personall residence and in case of absence for a learned supply 21 And forasmuch as the Church of God in all ages hath had some which after good and plausible beginnings haue notwithstanding proued firebrands of schism sounded the trumpet of sedition therefore the oth of canonicall obedience is a touchstone to trie their present affections a bridle to curbe their future passions and a gracious meanes to preserue the precious peace and vnitie of the Church 23 Moreouer the messengers of peace should not onely be peaceable but also painfull in feeding the flocke of Christ and yet Sermons heeretofore in some places haue beene verie rare and daintie insomuch that father Latymer in his time compared them to strawberies which came but once a yeere Wherefore that in stead of strawberie Sermons there might bee a more plentifull prouision in the house of God our Church hath decreed that if the Ministers residing vpon their benefices be Preachers not lawfully hindered they shall preach euery Sabbath and if they be no Preachers they shall procure monthly Sermons 24 Furthermore because such is our selfe pleasing vanitie we thinke our selues fit to flie before our feathers be growne and sundrie to auoid the odious brand of dumbe dogges and idoll shepheards are readie to stretch and straine themselues aboue their strength being forward to speake when silence would better become them therefore it is wisely enacted that none shall preach but such as are allowed by the Bishop of the Diocesse In the meane time they must read Homilies that is holie and learned Sermons publikely set out by authoritie Surely dearely beloued quirking braines may haue their conceits and wanton wits may be more merrie then wise but when these things are iudiciously weighed
in an equall ballance it will be found that the wisedome of the Church hath disposed them honestly and in order 25 And as our Church desireth that doctrine may shine like the light of the Lord vpon the holie candlesticke so she is carefull that the conuersation of her Ministers be such as may adorne the Gospell of Christ. In making of which Canon the church of England may seeme to haue set before her eies that golden sentence Let thy Priests ô Lord be clothed with holinesse and let thy Saints reioice and sing 26 And as they should be inwardly decked with godlinesse and grace so it is inioined that their outward apparell shall be sober and graue euery way correspondent to their calling that all things may bee done honestly and by order And thus much of the Ministrie and so I come to our ministration 27 The beginning of our Church Seruice is with some memorable sentence of holy Scripture appointed for that purpose moouing to repentance and praier or magnifying the mercy of God in Christ then after a holy exhortation all of vs both Minister and people fall downe before the throne of grace confessing our sinnes with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart meekely kneeling vpon our knees without question beloued heere is a holie and a blessed beginning Now because that God which dwelleth in eternitie hath respect to an humble and contrite spirit and hath appointed the Minister to comfort them which mourne in Sion therefore in the next place the Minister in the name of Iesus Christ pronounceth forgiuenesse of sinnes to all that truely repent and vnfainedly beleeue his holie Gospell This is the oile of gladnesse the balme of Gilead the fountaine of grace for the washing away of sinnes O the fountaine of the gardens the Well of liuing water and the springs of Lebanon And lest any man hauing the pardon of his sinnes pronounced should take occasion of carnall libertie therefore our Church doth presently apply a preseruatiue against presumption and a conseruatiue of all grace and godlinesse euen that zealous and piercing praier which the Lord Iesus himselfe hath taught vs. And because when we haue done all that we can we are vnprositable seruants and must forget that which is behinde and indeuor our selues vnto that which is before therefore as though we had yet done nothing we beseech him to open our lippes that our mouth may shew foorth his praise And so with praier to him which is best able to helpe vs wee giue glory to the blessed Trinitie in all which what is there which can be bettered by the wit of man Now forasmuch as the minde of man in praier mounteth aloft with Eagles wings piercing the clouds with ardent affection and powring out her plaintes in the bosome of the Almighty therfore lest the vehement attention which is required in praier should be dulled by long continuance our Church vseth a profitable varietie intermingling the reading of heauenly wisedome wherein the soule tasting and seeing how good and gracious the Lord is feedeth vpon him by diuine contemplation and so returneth to praier with a greater inflammation The Psalms being a store-house of all godlinesse wisedome and grace so plaine to the simple so profound to the wise so profitable to all sorts in all ages in all estates ioy or griefe prosperitie or aduersitie our Church desireth to make familiar to all men and therefore we reade them ouer euery moneth still interlacing the Hymne of glorie to the blessed Trinitie Then follow Chapters of the old and new Testament intermingled with sacred Hymnes all in a knowne language so God is glorified and the people edified It is true that to some parts of the Apocrypha we giue publike audience in our church yet we omit some bookes thereof and reade them not at all and those bookes we reade we reade not altogither intirely but omit some Chapters and peeces of Chapters which some haue thought capable of hard construction And if any thing we reade be such as may seeme to found suspiciously or doubtfully wee hold it our dutie to make the most charitable and christian construction and if wee cannot of our selues satisfie our selues wee are referred for resolution of our doubts to the Bishop of the Diocesse of whom what interpretation is to bee expected the Church doth teach vs binding him to doe nothing contrarie to the booke and proclaiming withall in the booke that nothing is ordained which is not the very pure word of God or euidently grounded vpon the same and therefore his interpretation being accordingly performed should in reason satisfie and content vs. Furthermore we receiue them for humane cōpositions and not for diuine therfore we reade them not for confirmation of Faith but for information of maners yet haue I said nothing of the libertie granted by the Preface of the second booke of Homilies concerning the changing of Chapters Moreouer though some portions of the Canonicall concerning Genealogies and some other intricate and mysticall points be not appointed to be solemnly read in our Church seruice yet we vsually alleage and expound them in Sermons Neither is it our meaning to aduance the Apocryphal which we reade aboue the Canonicall which we reade not for all Canonicall being the sacred Oracles of God haue incomparable preheminence of excellencie yet nothing doth hinder but that some thing in it selfe of farre lesser excellencie may be more familiar for popular capacitie After the Chapter of the new Testament accompanied with a holie Psalme or Hymne wee all stand vp boldly professing our faith before God and men in that forme which is most anciently receiued in the Church of Christ for which purpose we vse sometimes the Creed of Athanasius and elsewhere the Creed of the Councell of Nice Hauing thus fedde our mindes with heauenly meditation of the blessed Word and confessed our faith in the holie Trinitie we fall a fresh to Praier we praie for our Prince for all the States of the land for all Gods children and that for all blessings spirituall and temporall and we praie onely to God and onely in the merits of Iesus Christ. And because the life of man is subiect to a seaof miseries and little doe we know what storme may hang ouer our heads and suddenly surprize either vs or any of our brethren therefore that Gods present wrath may bee appeased and future dangers graciously preuented we humble our soules in the presence of God with a most deuout Letanie which is so pathetically penned that it may seeme to soare aloft with wings of sanctified affections and to pierce the skies as it were with darts of deuotion And after some time spent in Praier wee intermingle againe the reading of Gods holie word to beate downe sinne wee reade Gods firie law and fearefull commandements religiously beseeching him to incline our hearts to keepe his law And to kindle and increase
to be the iudgement of the Christian world For when Christianitie was first preached the Temples of idols in England Fraunce and so through the world were turned into the Churches of the liuing God Againe when poperie was banished yet all popish churches were not pulled down but many remaine and some at Geneua still imploied for the seruice of Almightie God And Caluin saith that it may bee done without scruple of conscience Some learned men I grant beyond the seas haue thought otherwise but they are confuted by Zanchius and the Ministers of England which seeke reformation I hope are more considerate then to pull downe Churches But concerning Churches they returne vs this answer that they are profitable wherein they confesse that euen these particulars which haue beene abused to idolatrie may be vsed in the seruice of God so they be profitable Therefore the question is come to this issue whether the things questioned be profitable wherein who shall be the iudge those that sit at the sterne of the Church are perswaded that they are profitable from whose iudgement if they will depart it behooueth them to bring more sound and demonstratiue reasons then hitherto they haue produced But I will conclude this point with the consent of their owne standerd bearer who hauing in his first booke called the surplesse a marke and sacrament of popish abhomination hauing pronounced that it bringeth no profit but hurt yet in his third booke dareth not hence conclude any vnlawfulnesse but onely inconueniencie and would not haue any man to forsake his pastorall charge in regard of a surplesse And thus much for clearing our ceremonies from imputation of poperie 34 Now fourthly let vs consider whether they be Iewish wherein wee affirme that the Church of England doth approch no neerer to the Iewes then the law of God and the state of Christianitie doth permit For what is it that they controle vnder the name of Iewish is it their meaning that we should vse nothing in the Christian Church which was vsed by the Iewes Esdras a Iew preached in a Pulpit of wood shall wooden Pulpits therfore be vnlawful The Iews buried their dead in linnen clothes shall this likewise be reiected as Iewish But both these things our reproouers approoue by their owne practise Wherefore it is agreed that some things vsed by the Iewes may be retained and yet they are retained not because they are Iewish but because they are decent Beside these ceremonies of decencie and order the Iewes had other which by the ordinance of God were types of Christ and these as wee all confesse are solemnly abrogated and neuer to be resumed as circumcision sacrifices and such like But can it be prooued that we vse any such thing in the Church of England let it bee granted that Leuiticall garments in regard of their mysticall representation are abolished yet how can it appeere that any of our garments are Leuiticall Suppose there be some resemblance in matter of forme what then is the Church of Christ bound so farre to auoide all conformitie with the Iewes that she may not at all resemble them in a matter of decencie Our musicall harmonie they would likewise abolish as Iewish but they haue not yet prooued that church musicke vocall or instrumentall is such a Iewish ceremony as ought to be abrogated The princely Prophet Dauid brought into the Church the melodie of musicke for the better praising lauding of God For the sweetnesse of harmonicall sounds doth insinuate it selfe into the soule of man preparing the affections for the seruice of God lifting vp the heart towards heauen delighting the minde kindling deuotion and rauishing the spirit with celestiall ioy If it be said that some come to the Church rather to be delighted with musicke then to bee instructed with religion what then yet in that they come to the Church I reioice yea and I will reioice So some come to the Church with purpose to intangle and catch the Preacher and yet it pleaseth God sometimes that they are catched themselues As Pighius did read Caluins Institutions of set purpose to confute them yet it was Gods will that thereby hee should bee reduced to the right way in the Article of Iustification And father Latimer can tel you that some came to church of purpose to take a nappe and yet he had rather that they should goe a napping then not goe at all Euen so it may be some come to the Church only to heare the melody yet who can tell but it may please the wisedome of that heauenly teacher to finde out a way that hearing those things wherein their eares delight they may also learne that wher◠by their soules may profit The forme of our Church they brand likewise with Iudaisme as being framed after the fashion of the Iewish temple but the temple had roomes for sacrifices to which there is no resemblance in our churches and for the roomes of receit they had Atrium Gentium proper to the Gentiles and Atrium Iudeorum proper to the Iewes And againe for the Iewes they had one partition for men and an other for women And againe for men they had a seuerall for the people a seuerall for Priests and a seuerall where the high Priest entred once a yeere Peraduenture they will say that our chancels are like the Iewish sanctuarie But if wee respect the forme the sanctuarie was square if the magnificence it was ouerlaied with gold if the ornaments there was the Arke and the glorious Cherubins if the separation it was diuided from the Holie by a vaile if the situation it was at the West end of the Holie if the adiuncts it had cloisters galleries and chambers adioining if the vse it was onely for the high Priest whither he entred once a yeere not without bloud which he offered for himselfe and the sinnes of the people all which things are otherwise in our Churches Lastly they compare our churching of Women to Iewish purification but most vniustly for our Women doe not offer lambes sparrowes and pigeons which was Leuiticall they onely resemble them in matters morall Their abstaining from publike assemblies for a season is not onely for health but a matter of modestie their giuing thanks to God when they come to the Church is a Christian dutie neither doe I see how this can be called a Iewish ceremonie vnlesse to praise God be a Iewish ceremonie 35 Fiftly it is obiected that our ceremonies are scandalous let vs therefore consider what a scandall is and how many kindes of scandall The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to halt is properly that part of the trap whereto the baite is tied which being ouerthrowne the beast pulles the trap vpon his owne head Metaphorically it is taken for that which is an occasion to hurt or grieue
for it is not a seale but onely a signe not commanded of the Lord but appointed by the Church not as a confirmation of his couenant but as a memoriall of our dutie Wherefore it doth not appeare to be of a scandalizing nature and therefore a wise and iudicious man liuing in reformed churches where the crosse is not vsed doth call it plainly a thing indifferent Let vs now consider whether it be scandalous in respect of the vse And first dare any man affirme that it was deuised to a scandalous end that doth not appeere but rather the contrarie For among the Iewes to die vpon a tree was a cursed death and among the Romanes the death of the crosse was full of reproch Wherefore the Iewes seeing the poore estate of Christ and his shamefull death did thinke him vnwoorthy the title of their glorious Messias and many of the Gentiles did scorne to beleeue in a crucified God But the true Christians reioiced in the crosse of Christ that is in Christ crucified not onely in Christ rising ascending and sitting in glorie but they reioiced in his crosse that is in his death passion which he suffered vpon the crosse for his humiliation is our exaltation his death our life his crosse our crowne his reproch our glorie And whereas the heathen did reproch the children of God with it the Christians set the signe of it in their foreheads to testifie that they were not therefore ashamed of the same God And this the great controller of our Church confesseth to be done of a good mind to keepe amongst them an open profession of Christ crucified and so though hee disâ—â—ke the meanes hee commendeth the end Yet I confesse though it were deuised to a good end it was afterward abused and peruerted to euill For ceremonies depend vpon the doctrine especially of the free grace of God and merits of Christ. So long as this doctrine is preserued pure the ceremonic is pure when the doctrine declineth the ceremonie is peruerted and therefore Goulartius affirmeth that the old Christians did vse the signe of the crosse without superstition because the doctrine of the merits of Christ preserued them from errour which afterward crept in When the doctrine was corrupted no maruell if the ceremonie were defiled as it came to passe in poperie where it was very scandalously abused But if it were scandalous onely in respect of the abuse then the abuse being remooued the scandall it selfe is likewise remooued Now can any man say that it is abused in the Church of England for doe we adore it with diuine worship all the world may know that we detest and abhorre all such abhomination Doe wee superstitiously ascribe anie grace or vertue vnto it let our very enemies be our iudges And surely if the puritie of doctrine preserue from superstition then who can accuse the Church of England wherein the doctrine of Christ is so purely taught as euer it was in anie Church vpon the face of the earth since the Apostles time But peraduenture they will say that our Church doth vse it scandalously in respect of some circumstances of time person or place Indeed we vse it in the Church at the time of Baptisme as our forefathers haue done before vs which liued either in or neere the Apostolike age But that wee vse it scandalously wee vtterly denie For who are they which are scandalized They answer that the papists are some weake aad some obstinate weake which haue made some steppe to the Gospell and yet are not fully scowred from their former rust and these as is imagined thinke that the sacraments get reuerence by the ceremonies as namely by the crosse and surples and that they want some thing they should haue where these are not vsed In which errour they are said to be strengthened by our vsing of them And the stubborne and obstinate doe heereby take occasion as is supposed to blaspheme the Gospell and to hope that the rest of their trumperie shall likewise in time be receiued And by this meanes they grow hardened and frozen in their dregs But if the Papists be weake and not wilfull there is great hope that as they haue alreadie made some step from popish opinions by meanes of good instruction so these silly imaginations may likewise by the like meanes in time be remooued For this doth not inforce any abolishing of ceremonies but it requireth more diligence in instruction And for the stubborne papists which stop their eares against all instruction wee need not regard them When the Pharisies were displeased with the Disciples of Christ for eating with unwashed hands Christ rendred a sufficient reason in defence of their fact but the Pharisees notwithstanding were offended then Christ answered Let them alone they be blinde leaders of the blinde and if the blinde leade the blinde both shall fall into the ditch This may be applied to our papists which being blinde themselues go about to corrupt others with their blinde opinions but we wil let theÌ„ alone returne to our weake brethren To whom Beza answereth that it is a vaine thing to pretend weaknes in that kingdome where the Gospell hath beene alreadie so manie yeers both preached and receiued and confirmed by the bloud of so many most excellent Martyrs But the godlie are much greeued at our ceremonies surely it is great pittie that the godly should be grieued at that which is lawfull our intent is not to grieue them but rather that we may goe with them hand in hand and doe our dutie with all ioy and comfort At Geneua some godly brethren were grecued at the wafer cake yet they did not therefore cancell the publike constitutions of their Church but Caluin did instruct the weak in the nature of things indifferent and so they learned to comfort and content themselues If they vrge vs with the saying of our Sauior Whosocuer shall offend one of these little ones which beleeueth in me It were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea It may be answered that Christ speaketh of such offenders as by their owne default giue offence vnto others and therefore Caluin vpon this place doth excellently define Scandall giuen Siquis nostra culpa vel impingit velabáucitur à recto cursu veltâ—rdatur eum dicimur offendere Now if any be offended with our ceremonies it is their owne fault and not to bee imputed to the Church of England Neither is a Church bound vpon euery pretended offence presently to alter her publike decrees for that were nothing els but ridiculous leuitie Indeed it is the dutie of euerie Church carefully to prouide that nothing bee decreed which may minister iust occasion of offence and likewise to establish her ceremonies with such sufficient cautions and cleerenesse of doctrine as may preuent so far as is possible all sinister constructions and
and spirit vpon them and make them like the thousands of Manasses and the ten thousands of Ephraim It is true they haue reiected some ceremonies which we retaine the things were indifferent and they haue vsed their Christian libertie in refusing them and we the like libertie in vsing them But why should we be bound to their example Indeed in the same nation and vnder the same gouernment it is fit there should be an vniformitie and therfore whereas the Iewes in the Prouinces kept the feast of Purim vpon the fourteenth day of the moneth Adar and the Iewes in Shusan vpon the fifteenth Mordocheus authorised by the King reduced them to an vniformity by inioining them both daies But diuersitie of rites in diuers Churches independent doth noe harme where there is an vnitie of faith It only shewes that the Kings daughter so that she be glorious within may be clothed with garments of changable colours Yet we cannot but maruell that men will vrge vs to conformitie with forraine Churches to which we owe no subiection and will not conforme themselues to their owne mother the Church of England in whose bosome they liue and whereof they are members But to whom shall we conforme our selues and whose patterne shall wee follow for the reformed churches differ one from another as hath beene in part declared in their celebration of holidaies Peraduenture they will saie that wee must follow the best But how shall we know which are best vnlesse the reformed Churches would haue a generall meeting in a publike Councell and make vs a finall determination and yet peraduenture that would not be voide of inconuenience for that might be best for one which is not best for another If in this case wee should be tied to follow the most ancient then Geneua it selfe must be cast in an other mould which our reproouers will not allow to bee of equall perfection But whatsoeuer our reformers say it is cleere that they haue alwaies one eie fixed vpon the face of Geneua yet Geneua hath some popish orders if you call all orders popish which haue beene vsed in poperie as well as wee as hath beene declared in their custome of godfathers and godmothers and some popish orders they keepe which are not imposed vpon vs in the Church of England as the wafer cake which was more scandalously abused in poperie than any thing that we inioin yea then the crosse it selfe For the wafer cake was not onely made an idoll but such an idoll as did abolish the verie substance of the Lords supper But the crosse howsoeuer it was abused yet it did not diminish the Sacrament of Baptisme but the substance remained wholy euen in the darknesse of poperie Moreouer Caluin himselfe doth not require that other Churches should follow their patterne but professeth that it is against equitie that the Church of Geneua should preiudice others And againe such a kinde of frowardnesse saith he is a most mischieuous plague when wee would haue the maner of one church to preuaile in place of an vniuersall law In which point singular is the wisedome and modestie of the Church of England which intreating of ceremonies saith In these our doings we condemne no other nations nor prescribe any thing but to our owne people onely for we thinke it conuenient that euerie countrie should vse such ceremonies as they shall thinke best to the setting foorth of Gods honour and glorie c. And although Heluetian and French Cities follow the fabricke of Geneua and should finde it commodious yet that will not prooue that it is either necessarie or conuenient for the Church of England For there is great difference betweene a popular state and an absolute kingdome betweene small territories and ample dominions betweene the schoole of Geneua and the renowned Vniuersities of Oxford and Cambridge Neither is any man to be offended with the diuersitie of ceremonies in diuers countries for as Socrates declareth those auncient Churches which imbraced the same religion had notwithstanding varietie of ceremonies And it is well said of Gregorie In vna fide nihil officit sancta ecclesia consuetudo diuersa Moreouer Saint Augustines mother hauing vsed when she was in Africke to faste vpon the Saturday and comming to Millan where that was not obserued was doubtfull what to doe whereupon her sonne Austin asked Saint Ambrose who answered When I am heere at Millan I doe not faste vpon the Saturday and when I am at Rome I faste vpon the Saturday and vnto what Church soeuer you shall come keepe the custome of it if you bee willing neither to take nor giue scandall And S. Augustine aduised Casulanus when there are diuers customes in the same countrey to follow them to whom the regiment of the people is committed and to conforme himselfe to his owne Bishop Wherefore it appeareth first that diuers countries professing the same religion may haue diuers ceremonies Secondly that in Churches independent one is not bound of necessitie to follow an other Thirdly that it is the dutie of euerie priuate man to conforme himselfe to the lawdable customes of the Church wherein hee liueth Hitherto we haue seene the Archers shooting at the Church of England but God is her buckler and the Almightie is her protection So her how abideth strong and the hands of her armes are strengthened by the hands of the Almightie God of Iacob And thus farre of the confutation 38 And now my deare brethren let me exhort you in the name of the Lord Iesus to performe all holie obedience to God and the Prince For what is it which withholdeth you from the cheerefull discharge of so gracious a dutie if the supposed blemishes of our church be inconueniences onely how dare you disturbe the peace of the Church for bare inconueniences The Communion bread of Geneua seemed inconuenient to Caluin yet he aduised his friends not to make any tumult for a thing indifferent and the same counsell which he gaue to other he followed himselfe In another place the belles at buriall did seeme inconuenient yet Caluin wished them if it could not be obtained that the Prince would remit it yet not to be clamerous or contentious for such a matter In an other place the holidaies and other ceremonies did seeme inconuenient and Caluin being asked returned this answer that Though a thing imposed should bring offence and draw matters of foule consequence after it yet if in it selfe it be not repugnant to Gods word it may bee yeelded vnto especially where the greater part preuaileth in which case he that is onely a member of that body can proceed no further In England that learned and blessed Martyr M. Hooper being elected Bishop in King Edwards time did vehemently denie the wearing of his episcopall ornaments but Caluin did counsell him not to stand so stiffely against the cap and the rocher And Caluin answering to certaine
goe out of her my people that you be not partakers in her sinnes and that yee taste not of her plagues haue vpon your former premises gathered a practicall conclusion and made an actuall separation and rent from the Church of England And surely my brethren as they had their original from your positions so now they are strengthened by your practises for they may well thinke that such learned and vertuous men so famous and renowmed Preachers knowing a Wee pronounced against them if they preach not the Gospell would neuer suffer themselues to be silenced for matters which they iudged indifferent and therefore they will take it as granted that the things you sticke at are in your opinion simplie vnlawfull Vpon this dangerous position they will builde an other for if the Liturgie of the Church of England as it is inioined at this day to be performed be such as a Minister cannot execute his function with a good conscience then they conclude that neither may the people heare it with a good conscience because their presence were an approbation of it thus the vnquiet wit of man will still be working euen till it runne it selfe vpon the rocke of his owne destruction Wherefore my deare brethren I beseech you as you tender the good of the Church to lay aside all contentious humors Let there not bee found in you a spirit of contradiction and singularitie but follow those things which concerne peace and wherewith one may edifie an other Let vs consider one an other to prouoke one an other to loue and good works Bend your selues to settle the quiet of the Church and keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Which is rather to be expected at your hands because the points in question are the publike constitutions of the venerable conuocation which is the Church of England representatiue in whose voice your owne voice is included Some peraduenture will replie that if this reason be sound then the reuerend Martyrs in Queene Maries time should haue subscribed to poperie because it was then decreed by the Conuocation But I answer that there is not the like reason For against their popish conclusions the blessed Martyrs had euident and necessary demonstration of holy Scripture to which all decâ—â—es of man must vndoubtedly giue place but against the orders of our Church no such demonstrations can be produced Againe the matters they stood vpon were substantiall points of religion whereas our controuersies are of a lower nature And surely as probable inducements must yeeld to necessarie so amongst probable of which sort are all reasons deduced from the authoritie of man the priuate must giue place to the publike Will you haue the iudgement of master Caluin in this point also Then attend and heare a notable place which was touched before but deserueth to bee pondered againe and againe his words are these Quamuis enim quod obtruditur scandalum afferat malam caudam trahat quia tamen per se Dei verbo non repugnat concedi potest maximè vbi maior numerus peruincit quando ei qui membrum est tantum illius corports nulla ratio suppetit vlterius pergendi Let it therfore be imagined that our orders bring scandall and draw after them a long and foule traine of inconueniences yet seeing that in themselues considered they are not repugnant to Gods word for this still wee must presume till the contrarie bee prooued and are agreed vpon by the greater part yea by the sacred Synod which is the Church of England representatiue and that with the royall assent of our Soueraigne surely in the iudgement of Caluin they may bee yeelded vnto by such as are members of the same Church neither in this case can they proceed any further Wherefore my brethren I cast my selfe downe at your feete and with tender teares beseech you euen in the bowels of Christ Iesus that you will seeke peace and follow after it and bee not like to them of whom it is saide The way of peace they haue not knowne 46 Fourthly looke vpon those reuerend Fathers and Bishops of our Church by whose hands and voices that blessing was powred vpon you which made you ministers of holie things Haue you not at your ordination made a promise and at your institution taken a reuerent oth of canonicall obedience Wherefore let mee exhort you which haue taken this oth and being admonished by your Bishop oppose your selues notwithstanding against the laudable discipline of our Church to enter into your owne soules and vprightly to consider whether while you pretend conscience you doe not that which is vncomely for conscieence And for our Bishops ò what an anguish will it bee to their soules if those voices which ordained you be constrained to depriue you And what a comfort would it be both to them and to all your brethren of the Ministerie if we might ioine together against the common enemie and bee linked in euerlasting chaines of loue one with another And heere most reuerend Fathers though in your wisedome you finde it fit that authorized lawes be put in execution yet remember that the offenders are your owne children in the Lord and by Gods mercie your assistants in dispensing the precious trueth of Iesus Christ and many of them very learned and laborious in the Church of God adorned with manifold vertues and graces of the spirit and therefore let all your proceedings towards them be with a tender heart and a tender hand Consider the multitude of papists and the insulting of vaine-glorious Iesuits behold how sinne and iniquitie euerie where abound and what need the Church hath of their learned labours and therefore in the name of God trie all meanes in Fatherly maner to reduce them endeuour according to your godly wisedome to giue them full satisfaction of their doubts and to make the equitie of the required subscription plaine and manifest vnto them that their consciences being resolued they may proceed as before in the worke of the Lord for this will tend much to the glorie of God the good of the Church your owne comfort and the sauing of many thousand soules This in all dutie I haue aduentured call to your remembrance most reuerend Fathers in behalfe of my brethren wherein if I seeme too bold that loue which caused me must excuseme 47 Finally beloued call to mind the flocke of Christ that depends vpon you their profiting in religion was the comfort of your hearts your ioy and your crowne the seale of your Ministerie they heard you as the Angels of God yea as Iesus Christ and could haue beene content to haue plucked out their owne eies and haue giuen them to you And therefore if there be any loue any bowels of compassion forsake not the lambes of Iesus Christ whereof the holie Ghost hath made you ouerseers For let me tell you that your loue to the flocke ought rather like a golden chaine to draw you then the
THE AVTHORITIE OF THE CHVRCH in making Canons and Constitutions concerning things indifferent And the obedience thereto required with particular application to the present estate of the Church of England Deliuered in a Sermon preached in the Greene yard NORWICH the third Sunday after Trinitie 1605. By FRAN. MASON Bacheler of Diuinitie and sometime fellovv of Merton College in Oxford And now in sundrie points by him enlarged EPH. 4. 3. Endeuour to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace LONDON Printed for IOHN NORTON 1607. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER in God RICHARD Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace Primate and Metropolitane of all England and one of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuie Councell c. THe loue and dutie which I owe to this Church of England most reuerend Father haue put into my hand this Oliue branch that is an exhortation to holy obedience and peaceable resolutions which alwaies haue beene the crowne and glorie of a Christian For when I pondered with my selfe how some of the Ministerie stand vnresolued and that as I take it because they doe not duly consider the nature of things indifferent and the dutie of a subiect to his Soueraigne I must confesse that my bowels of compassion were mooued and the fire of affection was kindled within me And therefore although many learned and iudicious men haue richly and plentifully handled this argument yet in commiseration of those my brethren I also haue aduentured to cast my poore mite into the treasurie hoping that as they walke amongst the fruitfull trees they will not disdaine to pull a little berrie from the lowest shrub The principall marke I shoote at is to doe my endeuour to settle the tender and trembling consciences of those which are not wedded to their owne conceits but haue bene carried away rather of weaknesse then of wilfulnesse that such of them as it shall please the Lord may be reduced to the Tabernacles of peace and follow the trueth in loue For alas who can but lament to see so many spend their short and precious time in such scandalous prosecution of ciuill contentions and some of them not altogether vnlike to Platoes Euthyphro who in his inconsiderate course went in all haste to accuse his own father But this Church God be thanked neuer wanted a Socrates to encounter and conuince them and make manifest to the world that they erred by misconstruction and vnaduised zeale O how much better had it beene to haue continued their labours in the Lords vineyard and by bending their vnited forces against Babylon to haue fought the Lords battails to the comfort of the godly who then might haue celebrated their triumph erected their trophae and decked their victorious heads with lawreall garlands O what a griefe ought this to be to their soules so to oppose themselues against such a learned and religious Church and so vnreuerently to traduce that holie Booke of Common Prayer a worke of so great and admirable excellencie concerning which I may truly affirme that it hath beene cut vp like an anatomie euery vaine of it hath beene opened euerie corner searched euery rubricke ransacked not a word but hath beene weighed in the ballance not a syllable but hath bene sifted to the vttermost and yet for all this like to the bridge of Caesar the more it is oppugned the stronger it stands The ceremonies wherof may aptly be resembled to the altar erected by the tribe of Reuben Gad and the halfe tribe of Manasses vpon the passages of Iordan at which the rest of the tribes were grieuously offended imagining that it had beene for sacrifice But when they were truely informed that it was onely for a memoriall that they had a part in the God of Israel they were well content they blessed God and Phinehas said This day we perceiue the Lord is among vs because you haue not done this trespasse In like maner some of our brethren haue beene offended at our ceremonies vpon an erroneous imagination of Poperie and superstition but the Church of England hath often manifested her innocencie and cleared herselfe of those imputations And therefore we hope that one day their eies being opened and their soules satisfied they will with the Princes of Israel blesse God and say with Phinehas This day we perceiue that the Lord is among vs because you haue not done this trespasse For the furtherance whereof I doe in all humilitie present this Oliue branch vnto your Grace whose eminent wisedome and godly care in suppressing innouations and preseruing the well setled state of this flourishing Church is most apparent And therefore as God hath directed the heart of our religious Souereigne to establish you the chiefe Pastor and Father of our Church so I beseech the Almightie to vouchsafe this fruit to your labours that your Grace may see the weake resolued the wilfull relented the wandring reduced and all of them returned to the bosome of the Church like the Doue to the Arke with leaues of Oliue in their mouths in token that all gall and bitternesse being laid aside the swelling flouds of discord are asswaged Your Graces in all humble dutie FRANCIS MASON THE AVTHORITY of the Church in making Canons and Constitutions concerning things indifferent and the obedience thereto required c. 1. Corinth 14. 40. Let all things be done honestly and by order 1 MY heartie desire and praier is to Almightie God the Father of mercy that he would so blesse the Ministerie of the Church of England that we all being linked in loue as it were with chaines of adamant might with one heart and one hand religiously build the Temple of the Lord reuerently performe holy obedience to God and the Prince carefully keepe our selues vnspotted and vnstained of this present world and faithfully feed the flocke of Iesus Christ that depends vpon vs. The comfortable accomplishment wherof whosoeuer shall maliciously hinder let him take heed lest a fearefull curse from the God of Iacob come like water into his bowels and like oile into his bones but whosoeuer shall praie for the peace of Ierusalem peace be vpon him and mercy and vpon the Israell of God The furtherance of which blessings to the glory of Christ and the good of the Church men and brethren beloued in the Lord is the marke I aime at and the scope I intend that we all like obedient children may keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace 2 Now this present Sermon by Gods gracious assistance shall be diuided into two generall parts The first an explication The second an application a briefe application of the text and a more ample application of the text to the present estate of the Church of England of which two points in order beseeching the God of all grace and peace to grant vs a blessing 3 And first who spake these words It is plaine that the holy Apostle S. Paul And seeing the holy
men of God as in the old Testament so doubtlesse in the new spake not by priuate motion but as they were mooued by the holy Ghost Therefore we may truely say that the spirit vttered these words by the mouth of Paul But to whom were they spoken vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth and to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus Now what things soeuer were written before time were written for our learning Therefore these things concerne not the Church of Corinth onely but the Church of England the Church of Geneua and all the Churches of the Saints Wherefore he that hath an eare let him heare what the spirit saith vnto the Churches Let all things be done honestly and by order For the plainer accesse whereunto let vs first consider the coherence with that which went before The holy Ghost in this Chapter intreateth of certaine spirituall gifts and graces by many reasons aduancing the gift of Prophecie aboue the gift of tongues where by the way it must bee obserued that by Prophecying is not meant foretelling things to come but the word of edification exhortation and consolation that is the Preaching of the Gospell In handling of which argument it pleased the spirit to interlace certaine points of Church gouernment concerning the publicke performance of Prayer thankesgiuing and prophecying vnfolded in these three branches First they which speake publikely in the Church must speake in a knowne tongue or if they speake with strange tongues there must be an interpreter Secondly those which Prophecie must speake two or three and let the other iudge If one sitting by haue a reuelation let the former hold his peace and the spirit of the Prophets must be subiect to the Prophets Thirdly those which publikely performe these duties must be men and not women for women must keepe silence in the Church Now the spirit hauing thus as it were sprinkled this discourse with Ecclesiasticall orders proceedeth couertly to a short but sharpe reprehension of the Corinthians who as it is probably collected were so far in loue with themselues that they would not suffer their owne customes to be called in question but rather went about with singular arrogancy to impose them vpon others as though other Churches were bound to follow their patterne Finally there followeth a generall direction concerning all Church orders folded vp in these wordes Let all things be done honestly and by order 4 The words in the originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all things bee done it is cleere that the doing heere spoken of is the solemne performance of religious offices in the face of the Church And when it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things without any restraint it is euident that the spirit riseth from the former pariculars to a generall conclusion comprehending not onely praier thankesgiuing and prophecying but moreouer the ministration of the holy Sacraments consecration to holy orders and vniuersally the publike discharge of such sacred and reuerent duties Concerning all which the spirit requireth that they be done first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as you would say after a good fashion consisting in time place apparell and other things externally required for the due and decent administration They must haue an honest decencie and a decent honestie they must be comely to the eie and referred to a godly end that is the aduancement of Gods glory and the edification of the Church not giuing iust occasion of scandall to Iew or Gentile or to the Church of God For if these ends must be duly respected in matters of common life how much more reuerently and religiously should they bee regarded in the solemne seruice of Almightie God And as all things must be decent and honest before God and men so it is required in the second place that all things be done according to order Which order requireth authority with godly wisedome in the publike disposer and cheerefull obedience with gracious humilitie in such as are subiect to those publike constitutions 5 So this text is a Canon of Canons for all such Church gouernment and all Ecclesiasticall Canons must be cast in this moulde Indeed it is a golden Canon or rule whereby all Christian Churche must be ruled an exquisite touchstone whereat all ceremonies must be tried the beame of the Sanctuarie whereupon all Church orders and constitutions must be weighed and ballanced And therefore let vs search a little deeper into this golden mine For the better vnderstanding whereof it must bee obserued that some things are necessarie and some things indifferent 6 Necessarie I call that which the eternall God hath in his word precisely and determinately commanded or forbidden either expresly or by infallible consequence Indifferent which the Lord hath not so commanded nor forbidden but is contained in the holy Scripture rather potentially then actually comprehended in generall directions not precisely defined by particular determinations Whatsoeuer God hath in his Word precisely commanded so farre as it is commanded is necessarie to be done for the not doing of it is a sinne Whatsoeuer God hath forbidden so long as it is forbidden is necessarie to bee left vndone for the very doing of it is a sinne Whatsoeuer is neither commanded nor forbidden that whether it concerne Church or common-wealth is left to the Lords vicegerents vpon earth who according to the exigence of the state may by their discretion command it to be done or to be left vndone and both without sinne In the holy Scripture some things were commanded for a season as the sacrifices of the Law forbidden for a season as the meats mentioned in the xj of Leuiticus Indifferent for a season as the place of erecting altars before the fabricke of the Tabernacle Some things were euerlastingly commanded as to feare God and to keep his commandements euerlastingly forbidden as all sinne and wickednesse euerlastingly left indifferent whereof many examples might be giuen in meate drinke apparell and matters of such outward condition and qualitie For some things are correspondent to the Law written in our hearte that is the Law of humane nature which considered in the originall beautie and brightnesse is the same in substance with the Law Morall and these are in their owne nature good and euerlastingly to bee imbraced some things are repugnant to it and these are in their owne nature euill and euerlastingly to be abhorred Some things the sacred Law of our nature hath left arbitrary and these are in themselues and of their owne nature indifferent But it must bee noted that such things as the Law of nature hath left indifferent may notwithstanding become necessarie by the force and vertue of some other commandement diuine as for example The eating of Swines flesh is a thing in the owne nature indifferent yet there was a necessitie laid vpon the Iewes to forbeare it
And verilie for priuate men to range without the compasse of their calling and vpon their priuate opinions to controle the publike iudgement of the Church in a matter of decencie is in mine opinion a matter very vndecent Likewise seeing the spirit hath said Let all things be done by order therefore doubtles in the Church of God there must be an order But who shall appoint this order shall euery man doe what he list that were disorder Shall priuate men make publike constitutions that were against good order Therefore it remaineth that they onely haue authoritie to make Church orders whom the Lord hath made Church gouernours Now in an absolute kingdome as this of England the King by the law of God is the onely supreme gouernor of all persons and causes Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill within his owne kingdome Therefore the King and those which vnder the King haue the regiment of the Church lawfully committed vnto them haue lawfull authoritie to make Church-orders 8 Thirdly though Church gouernours may make Church lawes yet they may not establish what they list God hath inrailed their authoritie with certaine bounds and limits which they may not passe All their Canons must be framed according to the generall Canons of the holie Scripture which may aptly bee reduced to these two expressed in my text Let all things be done honestly and by order First honestly that is as was before declared in decent sort with relation to the glorie of God and the edification of the Church without scandall Secondly according to order for God is the God of order and not of eonfusion Now if all things in the Church must be done decently then nothing may be established which is base or beggerly The ceremonies of the Church though they cannot alwaies be costly yet they must alwaies be comely Againe if all things bee decent then religious solemnities must be performed with grauitie magnificent they may be and sumptuous according to circumstance of time person and place but alwaies without vanitie without luxurious pompe or meretricious brauery If all things must be done to the glory of God then nothing may be established in superstitious or idolatrous maner for that were repugnant to the glory of his maiestie then nothing must be established contrarie to the Scripture for that were repugnant to the glory of his wisedome then things indifferent must be established as indifferent not as meritorious or satisfactorie not as necessarie to diuine worship to iustification or saluation for this were repugnant to the glorie of his grace If all things must bee done to edification then the ceremonies of the Church must not be darke and dumbe but so cleerely set foorth that euery man may know what they meane and to what vse they serue If all things must be done to edification then Church gouernors must duly intend the soules health of Gods people framing all their Canons for the common good To which purpose the Church of Iesus Christ vseth her ceremonies either to imprint in mens mindes some reuerend mysterie of religion as when she appointed thrice powring on of water in Baptisme signifying the trinitie of the persons or once to signifie the vnitie of the Godhead or els some sanctified affection as when we pray kneeling by the bending of the knee signifyng the bending of the heart or confesse our faith standing to betoken our boldnesse or els she desireth to kindle deuotion as when she praiseth the Lord with the melodie of musicke or to put men in minde of their dutie so the blacke garment may admonish the Minister of grauitie the white of puritie The ornaments of the Vniuersitie may admonish the people to honor him whom the Church hath honored and may put the Minister in minde of his dutie seeing he hath receiued the ensignes of learning and vertue Finally euen things of inferior regard must in their kinde tend to edification The verie belles must giue a certaine sound that it may appeere when they call vs to the Church when they warne vs to praie for the sicke when they signifie that a brother or sister is departed Yea the very Pulpets and seats must beso placed as euery man may conueniently heare so euery thing according to his nature and degree must be referred to edification If all things must be done without scandall then nothing which is sinfull may be established for all sinne is of scandalizing nature yea euen things indifferent wherein is apparant danger of superstition or idolatrie are to be remooued for we must abstaine from all appearance of euill If all things must bee done in order then confusion by all meanes must bee auoided and consequently the Church must not exceed in superfluitie of ceremonies lest religion it self be ouershadowed as it were a grape with much abundance of leaues If all things must bee done in order then the Lay-man must not bee suffered to intrude himselfe into the office of a Minister in ministring the Word and Sacraments nor the inferior Minister to vsurpe that which belongeth to the Bishop but euery man must keepe his owne ranke and therein proceed according to order And that no maruell seeing the whole fabricke of the World both the celestiall orbes and the globe of elements are framed and vpholden by order The fixed starres in their motions and reuolutions keepe a most firme and fixed order The Planets though compared with the fixed they may seeme to wander yet in trueth they obserue a most certaine and neuer wandring order The day in opening and closing the Moone in waxing and waining the sea in ebbing and flowing haue their interchangeable course wherein they continue an vnchangeable order The Storke Swallow Turtle and Crane knowe their appointed time the Cranes doe also flie in order The Grashoppers haue no King yet goe they foorth all by bands The Bees are little creatures yet are they great obseruers of order Amongst men in peace nothing can flourish in warres nothing can prosper without order Order proceedeth from the throne of the Almightie it is the beautie of nature the ornament of Arte the harmonie of the world Now shall all things be in order and the Church of God onely without order God forbid The Church is a Garden inclosed and a garden must be in order The house of God and Gods house should be in order an armie with banners and an armie should bee marshalled in order Therefore in the Church of God Let all things be done honestly and by order 9 Fourthly wee may obserue that as Church gouernours may make Church lawes so all that liue in the bosome of that Church must respectiuely obserue the same For otherwise how can all things be done honestly and according to order Therefore as the enacting of good lawes so the obseruation of them is necessarie But some will demand what degree of necessitie is required whether humane lawes doe
so binde the conscience that the not obseruing of them be a sinne whereto it may bee answered that to speake properly God onely raigneth in the consciences of men and sinne is the transgression of the law that is of law Diuine Notwithstanding when Gods law is so intwined with mans law that mans law cannot be broken without the violation of Gods law then the breach of mans law is not without sinne Therefore if an Ecclesiasticall Canon be made of a matter lawfull in a lawfull maner to a lawfull end by lawfull authoritie according to the generall rules of Scripture containing in it nothing repugnant to Scripture nothing contrarie to faith or good maners then that law is approoued in the sight of the Almightie and seemeth to Caluin and other learned Diuines not meerely humane but in some sort Diuine And in the iudgement of Beza doth so farre binde the conscience that no man can wilfully transgresse it without sinne And although the things we speake of be indifferent yet being lawfully commanded the obseruation of them is not a thing indifferent but necessarie because the Lord hath saide Let euery soule be subiect to the higher power And though the omission of a ceremonie bee in it selfe a small matter yet to doe it with resistance of authoritie is no small matter for Whosoeuer resisteth power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to themselues condemnation and therefore we must be subiect for conscience sake But heere peraduenture it will be demanded how this doth stand with Christian libertie for answer whereof may it please them to know that Christian libertie consisteth not in breaking of wholsome lawes God forbid that were fantasticall and Anabaptisticall But to touch it so farre as concernes our present purpose in these branches following First we are not tied to this or that paterne but being within our selues a Church not depending vpon any other our Church gouernors haue libertie to establish whatsoeuer being in it selfe indifferent shall to their wisedome seeme most expedient alwaies prouided that all things bee done honestly and in order Secondly this is our libertie that things indifferent being established we retaine them not as a part of diuine worship not as meritorious or satisfactorie not as necessarie to iustification or saluation but onely for discipline and orders sake Thirdly if there shal happen any contempt or irreuerence they may be altred and changed by lawfull authoritie which may likewise ordaine and publish such further ceremonies or rites as may bee most for the aduancement of Gods glory and therefore they are not established as perpetuall but so long as in the eie of publike iudgement they shal seeme conuenient profitable for the Church of Christ. But some peraduenture will replie and saie If things indifferent be such as God hath not commanded why then should the Church presume to impose them vpon vs and so abridge our libertie which God hath not abridged I answer that it is no presumption at all but the lawfull vse of lawfull authority For things are either commanded of the Lord or forbidden or left indifferent That which God hath certainely commanded man may not forbid that which God hath certainely forbidden man may not command or impose by any law For that in the iudgement of S. Austin deserueth not the name of a law which inioines things vnlawfull Againe if authoritie command the same thing which God commandeth or forbid that which he hath forbidden this is not the enacting of a new law but a dutifull declaration and due execution of Gods law But those things which God hath neither commanded nor forbidden he hath left to be disposed by the law of man In which case the Soueraigne may command his subiect and the Church her children and it is the dutie of the inferiour therein to be obedient He that denieth this taketh away the Sunne out of the world dissolueth vniuersally the fabricke of gouernment ouerthroweth families corporations Churches and kingdoms and wrappeth all things in the dismall darknesse of Anarchie and confusion And though this be in some sort the abridging of thy libertie yet it is for the common good and according to the rules of equitie and the Prince or Church in so commanding thee doth no further abridge thy libertie then God doth allow them to abridge it 10 Lastly when it is said vnto the Churches Let all things be done it is plaine that this dutie is laid vpon the Church to prouide that these things bee effectually done and consequently that God which gaue her this charge hath armed her with authoritie She may censure disobedient children God hath giuen to his Church in all ages not onely a rule for direction but a rodde of correction this is the iudgement of all learned men as appeeres by the practise of the whole Christian world And thus much of the explication and so I come to the application 11 Hitherto you haue seene the ballance of the Sanctuary Now it remaineth that the Canons and Constitutions of our own Church be weighed examined in this ballance Wherein although I acknowledge that lawes solemnly established doe rather require obedience then disputation yet because the lawes vnder which wee liue are such God be thanked as need not to shunne the light and forasmuch as many otherwise vertuous and well disposed mindes and some of them very learned and laborious in the Church of Christ while they haue trauelled in waightier matters haue mistaken somethings of lesser moment Therefore giue me leaue in the spirit of meeknesse to instruct them that are contrarie minded which I doe not to call the present lawes in question I haue no such meaning but to quiet and settle the vnresolued conscience that that we may all performe cheerefull obedience to God and the Prince And if any man thinke that this discourse were more seasonable in an assemblie of Ministers let them consider First that this famous auditorie is furnished with a great number of the Ministerie Secondly that this is the place of iurisdiction Thirdly that the handling of these points is very profitable for the people for the true knowledge of the authoritie of the Prince in things indifferent is the very foundation of Christian obedience And though I know that the handling of these points is very subiect to censure yet for my brethrens sake of the Ministrie my hart is turned within me and my bowels of compassion are rowled together and therefore I am resolued to wade through honour and dishonor good report and bad report for the workes sake which I couet to performe Now this application by Gods grace shall bee diuided into three generall parts First a declaration that in the Church of England the principall points for the time will not suffer mee to speake of all are established honestly and in order Secondly a confutation of certaine generall exceptions to the contrarie Thirdly an exhortation
to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace And to begin with the declaration let vs first declare the order which our church vseth in making of Church orders 12 By the ancient lawes of this realme this kingdome of ENGLAND is an absolute Empire and Monarchie consisting of one head which is the King and of a bodie politike which bodie politike the law diuideth into two generall parts the Cleargie and the Laitie Now the King of England being an absolute Soueraigne and consequently by the law of God supreme gouernour ouer all persons and causes Ecclesiasticall and Temporall within his owne dominions may by the ancient prerogatiue and lawes of England make an Ecclesiasticall commission by aduise whereof or of the Metropolitane he may according to his Princely wisedome ordaine and publish such ceremonies or rites as shall be most for the aduancement of Gods glorie the edification of his Church and the due reuerence of Christs holy mysteries and Sacraments And it is further enacted by authoritie of Parliament that the Conuocation shall bee assembled alwaies by vertue of the Kings Writ and that their Canons shall not be put in execution vnlesse they be approoued by Royall assent According to which statute or act of Parliament it pleased our gracious Soueraigne to direct his Writ to the most reuerend Father in God the late L. Archbishop of Canterburie his grace by vertue wherof the Bishops and others of his Prouince were summoned and because particular Churches should not be left destitute the Ministers of euerie Diocesse had libertie to choose two Clerks out of their owne bodie by coÌ„mon consent to represent the rest These assembling at the place and time appointed by vertue of other his Maiesties Writtes directed to the rigâ—â— reuerend Father in God the L. Bishop of London then being duely authorized President of the Conuocation proceeded to consultation and after long deliberation set downe their conclusions which being the constitutions of the sacred synod and the same presented to the King ratified by his roiall assent confirmed by his Highnesse letters Patents vnder the great Seale of England and by his soueraigne authoritie published commanded and enioined to be diligently obserued executed and equally kept by all the subiects of this kingdome haue a binding force and are in the nature of a law and therefore may bee iustly called the Kings Ecclesiasticall lawes in making whereof the Church of England without all controuersie proceedeth honestly and in order 13 But to come to particulars let vs first consider our Ministerie and then our ministration The Ministers of England are not in popular paritie but our Bishops are aduanced aboue the rest being indued with power of giuing orders and the exercise of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and that according to the purest and Apostolicall times Timothie and Titus ordained Presbyters that is Ministers of the Gospel towne by towne and these answer to our Pastors of particular Churches whose dutie is to minister the Word and Sacraments Timothie himselfe had the ouersight of Ephesus Titus of Creete not onely of the flocks but of the Ministers also and had authoritie both to minister the Word and Sacraments which was common to them with all other inferior Presbyters and likewise to exercise ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and by imposition of hands to consecrate to holy orders For the better execution of which duties it hath pleased Christian Kings in all ages out of their Princely fauours to grace and countenance Bishops and by their lawes examples and bounties to make them acceptable vnto the people well considering that the decay of the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall Rulers and the want of yeelding to them reuerence honour and feare is the cause of all euil as Chrysostome well noted saying He that honoureth the Priest doth also honour God and he that despiseth the Priest commeth by degrees to this at last that he waxeth contumelious against God himselfe And as these glorious stars and angels are to be honored so againe they must remember the saying of Ambrose Magna sublimit as magnam debet habere cautelam Honor grandes grandiori debet sollicitudine circumuallari 14 Concerning inferiour Ministers the first point to be pondered is their ordination For which purpose the place is famously known being either the cathedral church or the parish Church where the Bishop resideth The time Ieiunia quatuor temporum commonly called Ember weeks which by the wisedome of our Church are consecrated to a most excellent vse that all the people of the land should fast and praie that the Lord would blesse his Church with learned Ministers and send foorth woorthy labourers into his haruest This is apparent by our Canons and Constitutions and surely it is an honest a decent a holie and heauenly preparation 15 After the preparation followeth the Examination both of maners and learning for the first the person desirous to enter this holy calling must exhibite letters testimoniall vnder the seale of some Colledge where he before remained onof three or foure graue Ministers with the subscription of other credible persons who haue known his life and behauiour by the space of three yeeres next 〈…〉 carefull is our Church that this should be performed honestlie and in order 16 Concerning their learning our desire is that in euerie parish the Word of God might abound like Euphrates and as Iordan in the time of haruest that the doctrine of the Gospell might shine as the light and ouerflow as Geon in time of vintage plant O Lord we beseech thee if it be thy pleasure in euery parish a learned Minister O Lord let thy Vrim and Thummin be with thy holy ones that they may teach Iacob thy iudgements and Israel thy law But beloued in the Lord it is one thing to speake of these things in speculation and another when we come to practise A Carpenter may contriue in his head a most exact and curious building but when he comes to the point he can make it no better then his timber will suffer The Defendour of the Admonition about thirtie three yeeres ago auouched that 2000. sufficient Preachers which preach and feed diligently were hard to be found in this Church Admit this were true and seeing there be in England about 10000. parishes suppose that libertie had beene granted to this great Reformer to haue reduced the Church of England to his imagined platforme what would he haue done should 2000. Parishes haue beene furnished euerie one with a sufficient Preacher and 8000. beene left forlorne without publike Praying or Preaching or reading diuine Seruice Should they haue had none none at all either to minister the Communion or to Baptise their children This had beene rude and barbarous and the high way either to Atheisme or to Paganisme Should one man haue had fiue benefices That were contrarie to his owne principles for so ech parish should haue had but the fift
part of a Preacher Should there haue beene a generall dissolution of parishes and fiue reduced to one Alas that had beene a wofull and lamentable reformation What then remaineth but onely that which the Church of England approoueth that is to be sparing in the former points and to admit some into the Ministery of meaner though tolerable sufficiencie till it please God that our famous Vniuersities which haue already furnished many may by Gods grace send out their crystall streames to water the rest of the land And surely it were to bee wished that some greater incouragement were giuen to learned men by encreasing their maintenance For alas it is notoriously knowne that manie Church liuings haue beene so pared to the quicke that now they are hardly able to yeeld vitall nourishment so sharpely haue they beene launced and lost their best bloud But God bee blessed who hath put into the heart of his Maiestie a holie endeuour to cure the Church of this consumption the father of mercy giue a blessing vnto it and the Lord grant that the Nobilitie and Gentrie of this land may follow his roiall example and that euerie one in his degree may set his heart and hand to the further building of the Lords Temple In the meane time I must needs say that there are not a few in the Vniuersities graue learned and vertuous which might be imploied abroad but onely that sundrie Patrons preferre a golden purse before a golden wit Wherein I would to God that such as are indued with right of presenting to spirituall promotions would consider what an honourable office is committed vnto them and what excellent seruice they may performe to the Church of God and let them withall call to minde what a fearefull account such shall one day make as cease not to preferre their priuate gaine before the publike good but suffer soules to perish through their negligent default or symoniacall sinne Two reasons may bee rendred for Patronages building the Church and mainteining the Minister in regard whereof this honour was granted to the lord of the soile in ancient time that hee alone should present the Clerke because he alone prouided for him In remembrance whereof the honour discended to posteritie and therefore you which enioy this right from your Noble progenitours as you succeed them in honour so succeed them in vertue and as they haue beene honourable founders so discharge you a good conscience and bee faithfull disposers And you which possesse the same dignitie though not by lineall discent yet by other lawfull interest it is your part to be good stewards and warily to discharge this Christian dutie according to that trust which the Church of Christ hath reposed in you So learning shall be nourished vertue aduanced religion flourish and out two famous Vniuersities shall be exalted like the cedars in Libanus and as the Cypres trees vpon the mountaines of Hermon They shall be faire as the Oliue tree and sweete as the Rose They shall bee fruitfull as the Vine and like the Terebinth shall stretch foorth their branches to the glory of God and consolation of his children But to returne to the present state of our Church it cannot bee denied but that God hath blessed this land with a great number of learned men aboue other nations yet seeing the number of parishes is exceeding great wee are constrained to tolerate some of meaner sufficiencie And yet the law requireth that euerie one to be admitted into the Ministerie should vnderstand the articles of religion not onely as they bee compendiously set downe in the Creed but as they are at large in our Booke of Articles neither vnderstand them onely but be able to prooue them sufficiently out of the Scripture And that not in English onely but in Latin also If it be obiected that there haue beene sundrie consecrated which are not thus qualified I confesse it may be true and it is a iust cause of lamentation but yet beloued this is not the fault of the law but of such as transgresse the law Now I speake in defence of the Lawes vnder which I liue If any whosoeuer shall transgresse the lawes let him answer for himselfe or beare his owne burthen that which is of God I would willingly defend but I am no patron of any mans iniquitie I will conclude this point with the charge S. Paul giueth to Timothy and in him to all other Bishops I testifie before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou obserue these things without hastinesse of iudgement and doe nothing after partialitie Lay hands suddenly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes 17 And heere let mee aduise those Ministers which are no Preachers that they spend not their time idlely but endeuour by all meanes to grow in wisdome and grace lest they be a disgrace to that holy calling For there is no doubt but being at their entrance qualified as the law requireth if they shall marke what they reade publikely if they shall delight to reade the Bible priuately if they shall ioine some short and easie Commentarie if they shall informe their iudgements by introductions and institutions of Christian religion if they shal be willing to learne of such as can teach them and to teach such as ought to learne of them if they shall be diligent in Catechising if they shall delight in conference and meditate vpon the law of God day and night and withall bee deuout and feruent in praier there is no doubt I say but that God may so blesse their graine of mustard seed that it may grow into a goodly tree their sparkle that it may become a flame their drop that it may rise into a riuer and ouerflow like Nilus with her siluer streames Blesse O Lord these gracious beginnings and holy endeuours let them not be like the morning dew that drieth away but let them grow in grace and flourish more and more like the tree that is planted by the riuer side 18 After the examination is tendered Subscription and surely to the end that they which should teach other men obedience may be good subiects themselues it is expedient that they subscribe to the first article that is to the Princes Supremacie The second article consisteth of two branches the booke of Common Praier and the booke of Consecration Concerning the first though the admonition to the Parliament did formerly fancie a voluntarie and extemporall forme of Praier as the spirit should mooue a man yet the defender of the admonition agreeth with vs that there should be a prescript and vniforme order the obseruation of which vniformitie both in praier and ceremonie was long ago commended by Caluin to the Duke of Sommerset and therefore we are agreed vpon this generalitie But to come to particulars there was set out a booke of Common Praier in the beginning of King Edwards raigne which Alexander Alesius a learned man of Scotland
our spirituall ioy we reade those comfortable and selected portions of Scripture called Epistles and Gospels Now for the holie Communion it is so religiously penned and so reuerently performed in our Church as is most apt to kindle deuotion to inflame faith to raise vp the minde from earthly cogitations and to rauish the spirit with heauenly ioy for it is replenished with most zealous exhortations lowly confessions piercing praiers celestiall comforts angelicall lauding and praising of God and not presuming to come to the Lords table trusting in our owne righteousnesse but in his manifold and great mercies we beseech him to grant that we may so eate the flesh of his deare sonne and drinke his bloud that our bodies being clensed and our soules washed wee may euer dwell in him and he in vs. And though we are not woorthie of our selues so much as to gather vp the crums vnder his table yet after the reheatsall of Christs holy institution such is the mercy of God in the merits of Christ we are made partakers of this heauenly banquet euen of the precious bodie and bloud of Christ for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and all other benefits of his passion So againe powring out praiers and rendring thanks and glorie to God on high we conclude the celebration of these reuerend mysteries pronouncing a blessing to the people departing Thus we repent and pray wee reioice and praie we thanke God and praie we confesse our faith and praie wee reade and praie we heare and praie we preach and praie we receiue the Sacraments and praie This is the order of our Church which may well be called the house of Praier Iacob when he awaked from the dreame of the ladder he said How reuerend is this place it is none other then the house of God and the gate of heauen So I say vnto you oh how reuerend is this Church of England where God is thus serued surely it is the house of God and this gracious seruing of him is the gate of heauen And thus much of the declaration and now I come to the confutation 28 As Iacob loued Ioseph aboue the rest of his children and in token thereof made him a partie coloured coat so God hath loued the Church of England aboue manie other Churches he hath decked and adorned her with sundrie gifts and graces so that she is like to a kings daughter in a beautifull garment of changeable colours Of Ioseph it is said that The archers shot at him and those archers were his brethren so of the Church of England it may bee saide that the archers shot at her and some of them were her owne children O mercifull God who would imagine that men borne and bred in so holy a Church should shoote so many venemous arrowes at their owne mother Some in their firie zeale haue called our Church musicke meretricious our reading of the Psalmes the tossing of tennis bals our briefe and piercing praiers cuts shreds our choice of the Epistles and Gospels the cutting and mangling of the Scripture the reading of Seruice and Homilies woorse then a stage plaie yea our vsing of the Letanie the Nicene Creed the Hymne of glorie the Creed of Athanasius the Euangelicall Hymnes and the Lords praier it selfe hath not escaped their censure What a world are wee growne vnto when thankesgiuing after childe-birth kneeling at the Communion reading the holy Scripture and funerall Sermons are made matters of reproch yea the whole Communion Booke some are said to call an idoll a Portuis a peece of Swines flesh yea the very Temples of God they are said to tearme temples of Baal idoll synagogues abominable sties But I hope my brethren of the Ministerie for whose loue I haue vndertaken this labour are for the most part more iudicious and of a milder temper yet because diuers of them stand as yet vnresolued imagining that we come neerer to the chuch of Rome then in dutie we should and therefore in the tendernesse of their conscience make scruple whether they may safely ioine with vs or no therefore I will bend my selfe to answer those arguments which in mine opinion doe most commonly intangle them that is certaine generall exceptions which are vniuersally opposed against the orders ceremonies of our Church These firie darts flie farre and wide the people men and women haue learned disdainfully to dash them in our faces these I hold it my dutie to quench or at least to doe mine endeuour I will therefore bring my bucket of water and commit the euent to the gracious goodnesse of Almightie God And for breuities sake I will reduce all these arguments into one the branches whereof shall bee handled in order Those orders and ceremonies which were neither commanded of God in holie Scripture nor practised in the Apostles times but are hereticall popish and antichristian being scandalous where they remaine and therfore cast out of other reformed Churches are in no wise to be imbraced or assented vnto by subscription but such say they are sundry of the orders and ceremonies of the Church of England therefore not to be imbraced nor yeelded vnto by Subscription 29 And first they require that nothing should be placed in Gods Church but those things onely which the Lord himselfe in his word commandeth Now it is supposed that we haue many rites which are not commanded as for example where is the Surplesse commanded where is the Ring in marriage commanded where is the Crosse in baptisme commanded where is kneeling at the Communion commanded These and a number of other things are vsed in our Church which as it is obiected God in his holie Word hath no where commanded To which obiection I answer First that if vnder this word commanded they comprehend things commanded in generall then these and the like orders of our Church are commanded If they demand where I answer in euery place where God commands vs to obey our Prince For the meaning of Gods cōmandement is that we should obey the Prince in all things lawfull but things indifferent are things lawfull therefore God commands vs to obey our Prince in things indifferent But all these things are indifferent therfore in all these God commands vs to obey our Prince yea euen in this my text it is commanded when it is said Let all things be done honestly and by order Secondly if by commanded they vnderstand a particular command then I grant that these things are not so commanded but neither are their owne rites they so much desire any where thus commanded A white Surplesse I confesse is no where commanded neither is a blacke gowne or cloake any where commanded Kneeling at the Communion is no where commanded but neither is sitting or any other gesture which they allow any where commanded If our orders may not be receiued because they are not commanded then neither can
theirs be imbraced for they are no where commanded If theirs be not commanded and yet be lawfull then ours also may be lawfull though they be not commanded Let themselues be iudges let them acquit vs or condemne vs chuse them whether Thirdly as they are not commanded so are they no where in holie Scripture forbidden either directly or by consequence if they bee let the places be produced if they be not then seeing they are neither commanded nor forbidden the Lord hath left them as things indifferent and therefore authoritie may command them and wee may with a good conscience obserue them without sinne Fourthly it shall bee conuinced by example and first what speciall commandement of God was there for Purim which Mardocheus inioined Hester set forward and the Iewes established for all generations Was the institution diuine or Ecclesiasticall If meerely diuine let it so appeere by diuine authoritie if Eccclesiasticall then I inquire whether it was lawfull or vnlawfull If lawfull for the Iewish Church why not for the Christian If it bee said that the Iewish Church was directed by the spirit it is true And vnlesse the contrarie could be proued why should wee not iudge the like of the Christian Church which hath more ample promises If it be saide that Hesâ—â—â— and Mardocheus did it by speciall and extraordinary directions they must consider that we must not flie to extraordinarie motions without sufficient warrant of holie Scripture And this seemeth to be done by the ordinary power of the Church for the Iewes in Shushan kept the fifteenth day of the moneth Adar with feasting and ioy the Iewes of the villages kept the fourteenth Mardocheus brought them to an vniformitie by inioining of both daies Afterward the Iewes by reason of an other deliuerance added the thirteenth day changing it from fasting and mourning to feasting and ioy and the like they did commonly vpon the like occasion If any imagine it to be vnlawfull though that imagination were very strange let him cast his eie vpon another example I meane the feast of the Dedication which was no where commanded in the law yet was solemnly obserued and Christ himselfe may seeme to haue approoued it by his presence But to leaue these Iewish festiuals and to come to the Christian. Are there not many which were instituted in the primitiue Church and euer since continued in the Church of Christ The feast of the Natiuitie is no where commanded in scripture yet hath bin allowed by the general consent of al ChristiaÌ„ nations Some reformed churches haue laid away those festiuals which beare the name of Saints yet they which vse them not themselues excuse the vse of them in the Church of England The Church of Geneua at the comming of Caluin obserued no holidaies but the Sabbath onely for so it pleased Farellus and Viretus to appoint The same decree which banished Farellus and Caluin brought in other holidaies and Caluin at his returne from banishment sought a middle course which was that the feast of the Natiuitie should be celebrated and as for other holidaies there should be solemne praiers in the forenoone and the people should returne to their labour in the afternoone This proouing inconuenient they were all againe abrogated except the Sabbath onely Caluin protesting that he was not the cause thereof yet not misliking it being done Other reformed Churches vsed some more some fewer according to their Christian libertie Wherefore it is cleere that the Church in all ages hath vsed authoritie in things indifferent and the customes and constitutions of the Church which are not repugnant to the word of God haue beene generally approoued although no where commanded Lastly though the admonition would haue nothing placed in the Church but that which is commanded in the sacred Word and grounded vpon this assertion as vpon an oracle yet the Defendour of the Admonition was forced such is the light of trueth to forsake his friends the admonitioners and to confesse the plaine contradictorie of their position to be apparently true 30 Secondly our opposites doe glance at vs as though the orders and ceremonies of our Church were not Apostolike To which I answer that those Apostolike times we honour and reuerence not onely for doctrine which then did runne most cleere as being neerest to the crystalline fountaine but also for discipline so farre as the state of those daies could possiblie suffer But though the doctrine of the Apostles be fully set downe in the Apostles writings yet the discipline is not so The reason whereof is because the doctrine is one and the same eternall and vnchangeable and therefore it is called an euerlasting Gospel but the discipline especially the ceremonies is for the most part variable according to circumstance of time and place Therefore the whole doctrine is purposely and plentifully the discipline onely in part by occasion and sparingly deliuered in holy Scripture and consequently what the orders Apostolike were can not bee fully knowne by the Apostolike writings yet of those which are knowne the grand and maine points are obserued in the Church of England as namely among other the gouernment by Bishops and the ceremonie of laying on of hands in the making of Ministers Moreouer those that call for reformation doe not 16 themselues absolutely and altogether imbrace the Apostolike orders as for example to salute with a holie kisse was an apostolike order which now is not thought fit to be restored in reformed Churches So Loue-feasts were vsed in the Apostles time but are not receiued in reformed Churches Furthermore the Church of England altereth nothing from the Apostolike institution but such things onely as may be altered One kinde of Physicke agrees not to all bodies neither one kinde of ceremonie to all Churches the same Physicke which is good for the bodie when it is yoong may be dangerous in the same disease when it is old One maner of discipline may beseeme a citie and an other a kingdome One may be good for a Church newly planted and an other when it is in the flourish One ceremonie may be seemely for the time of peace and an other for the time of persecution Now to require like where the case is vnlike agrees not with reason Our Sauiour did celebrate the Communion after Supper and it was fit hee should so for the Passeouer by the law was to be eaten betweene the two euenings and the Communion was to succeed the Passeouer therefore it was fit that the Communion should be instituted in the euening But for vs to celebrate it in the morning is farre more conuenient For I make no doubt but our learned and godly brethren which seeke reformation will in this point rather ioine with the Church of England and with all other Christian Churches which make choice of the morning then with the Anabaptists
of God How abhominably the Wafer-cake was abused in poperie euery man may know It was made an idoll and palpablie adored with the highest kinde of diuine worship Yet Caluin though thinking it inconuenient did earnestly admonish them not to be contentious about a thing indifferent The Ministers and people of Geneua vertuous and godly men did follow this counsell of Caluin and quietly yeelded their consent and I hope you will not accuse them that they wounded their conscience But if you thinke still that a thing abused to Idolatry is ipso facto made vnlawful it is fit that the grounds of your opinion be examined 32 The example of Hezechias breaking in peeces the brasen serpent will not proue that King Iames ought of necessitie to abolish the crosse the Surplesse and other things you mislike For the brasen serpent was plainly made an idoll and so it continued at that very day but when our gracious Soueraigne came vnto the crowne neither the crosse nor any thing els was vsed idolatrously by the Church of England If it bee replied that Queene Elizabeth at her entrance to the crowne did finde many things polluted with superstition and idolatrie which as you suppose ought to haue beene remooued by the example of Hezechias then you must consider that abuses may be reformed two waies either by destroying the thing abused as Hezechias did the brasen serpent or by taking away the abuse the thing remaining as in the planting of Christianitie when the temples of heathen idols were changed into the churches of the liuing God And the example of Hezechias in vsing the one doth not abridge the libertie of Christian Princes in vsing the other Witnesse the same Hezechias who though he tooke away the high places and brake the images and cut downe the groâ—es and brake in peeces the brasen serpent yet spared he the chappels which Salomon had built for Ashtoreth the idoll of the Zidonians and for Chemosh the idoll of the Moabites and for Milcom the abhomination of the children of Ammon For it is euident that those high places remained till the daies of Iosias Hezechias destroied the serpent because he found it at that present adored and doing much harme hee spared the other because he found them standing onely as forlorne things at that present without any harme Yet God gaue him this testimonie that he claue to the Lord and departed not from him but kept his commandements which the Lord had commanded Moses And as Hezechias in breaking downe the serpent did not preâ—â—dice his owne libertie of sparing the other so his sparing the other did not restraine Iosias from vsing his libertie in pulling them downe Indeed wisedome requireth that a safe course be taken for preuention of euill where danger appeareth which our late Queene of famous memorie most religiously performed whose zeale in planting and establishing Gods true religion and abolishing of superstition was nothing inferior to the zeale of Hezechias She found the firie flames burning the bodies of the liuing and the bones of the dead she graciously quenched them She found the Scriptures locked from the people in a strange language she vnclasped the booke and gaue it to her people to meditate thereupon day and night She found the candle of the Gospel quite extinguished she did light it againe as it were as the beames of the Sunne She found the people worshipping of images creeping to crosses committing idolatrie in euerie thicket and vnder euery greene tree Will you see her with Hezechias breaking in pieces the brasen serpent then behold and looke backe to her royall Iniunctions commanding to Take away vtterly extinct and destroy all shrines couering of shrines all Tables Candlesticks Trindals and rolles of Waxe Pictures Paintings and all other monuments of fained miracles Pilgrimages idolatrie and superstitions so that there remaine no memorie of the same in walles glasses windowes or els where within their Churches c. And againe That no persons keepe in their houses any abused images tables pictures paintings and other monuments of fained miracles pilgrimages idolatrie or superstition Yea she banished the crosse so farre as it was an idoll or in any danger of idolatrie For whereas the crosse was either permanent or transient the permanent being solemnly adored in the Church of Rome she altogether abolished and the transient also for the most part For wheras in common life the crossing of the forehead was superstiously vsed and the like were still to be feared if it were permitted to popular practise therefore that was discreetly remooued In the Sacrament of the Supper the vse of crossing was of shorter continuance and the papists doe vse it rather like coniurers then Christians therefore there was no cause why there it should be continued In Baptisme it was more ancient and more free from superstition actuall adoration therefore Q. Elizabeth retained the crosse in Baptisme as her godly brother did before her being desirous so farre as she might conueniently to frame a conformitie to those primitiue times What rust this ceremonie had gathered the wisedome of our Church hath wiped away Fot the crosse is not appointed to be made by the Lay people but onely by the Minister and by him in Baptisme onely and then not as a darke or dumbe ceremonie which might be mistaken but with an expresse declaration of the meaning and signification thereof to the end that the same might be freed from all superstitious construction And to the intenâ— that all superstition and idolatry might be rooted out of all mens hearts and all future dangers thereof preuented the Ministers were inioyned to teach that all goodnesse health and grace ought to be asked and looked for of God onely as the verie author and giuer of the same and of none other So the crosse continued all the raigne of Queene Elizabeth as it doth at this day not blemished with the least spot or staine of superstition Neither is it to be doubted but if time had discouered any such abuse that religious Prince would soone haue reformed it But these eight and fortie yeeres experience may witnesse to the world that there was no such danger as some did imagine For the Almightie who loued vs gaue her an excellent spirit and tempered her zeale with wife moderation Those things which seemed most superfluous she lopped awaie like riotous branches In matters of greatest moment she followed the example of God himselfe in clensing the leprosie for first she had a Princely care rather to purge the house then to pull it downe and if somewhat must be pulled downe yet rather a few stones than the whole house yet where the leprosie was growne incurable there was no remedie but that part must downe and bee throwne into an vncleane place without the citie Hitherto of the example of Hezechias 33 Moreouer they pretend not example onely but the expresse commandement of Almightie God and stand vpon a place
of Esay which they vrge against the surples Yee shall pollute the couering of the images of siluer and the rich ornament of thine images of gold and cast them away as a stained ragge and thou shalt say vnto it get thee hence In which place the Prophet speaketh against the couerings of idols but what is this against the Church of England which hath long agoe extirpated all such abhominations neither is the surplesse the couering of an idoll but an ancient ornament of the Ministers of the Gospell If it be said that it was vsed by Idolaters I answer that in all likelihood all those surplesses are consumed and worne awaie and not now vsed in the Church of England and those which bee vsed were not receiued as popish by Q. Elizabeth but in such sort as they were in vse by authoritie of Parliament in the daies of King Edward and are now continued according to the Practise of the Primitiue Church Furthermore those couerings in the Prophet were rich and gorgeous with gold to make the idoll more beautifull and so were a snare to idolatrie whereas no such thing can bee iustified of our surplesses This point will be the cleerer if we consider a place in Deut. The grauen images of their gods shall you burne with fire and couet not the siluer and gold that is on them nor take it vnto thee lest thou be snared therewith for it is an abhomination c. In which place what is that which the Prophet calleth an abhomination is the thing polluted or is the very taking of such a thing abhominable our accusers are of a contrarie minde for they grant that the gold of the cope and the cloth of the surplesse may lawfully be taken for priuate purposes Yet let them take heed lâ—st they open a gap to sacrilegious proceedings How much more warily affirmeth Augustine that either priuate vses in such things are forbidden or lest any thing be so brought into the house that it be honored which interpretation as Zanchius declareth is agreeable to the text for the prophet saying couet not the siluer c. condemneth that couetous humor wherewith some gape after the spoiles of idolatrie onely to inrich themselues Againe in saying lest thou be snared hee renders a reason why wee should not take them lest the beautie of those golden monuments intangle vs with the loue of the idoll Wherefore such things must be polluted that is defaced and abhorred so farre till there remaine no danger of being snared with idolatrie which caution obserued they may bee vsed as the creatures of God for the 7 earth is the Lords and all that therein is which is the reason of the Apostle S. Paul speaking of meate oftred to idols Wherein wee must consider that as in the Lords offrings a portion belonged to the priest so likewise in the offrings of heathen idols Whereupon it came to passe that at solemne times when there was abundance of sacrifices the Priests did send some of their portion to be sold in the shaÌ„bles and Beza sheweth learnedly out of the interpretor of Aristophanes that those which returned from the sacrifices did vse to carie a portion home with them and out of Herodoius that the Egyptians vsed to sell in the market the heads of sacrificed beasts Now heereupon arose a question whether a Christian might with a good conscience buie such meat in the shambles and eate it and againe if he were inuited to a feast where such meats were whether he might eate them To the former S. Paul answers Whatsoeuer is sold in the shambles eate making no question for conscience sake for the earth is the Lords and all that therein is To the latter part he answers But if any of the vnbeleeuing inuite you and you be willing to goe whatsoeuer is set before you eate asking no question for conscience sake Whereby it is cleere that the idolatrous abuse of a thing doth not take away the lawfull vse of it It may still bee vsed as it is the good creature of God It will bee replied that things polluted may be vsed againe for ciuill vse publike or priuate but not for sacred But how can this be because wicked men haue kneeled to their idols may not I therefore praie kneeling to the liuing God for kneeling though it bee a most seemely order yet it is in it selfe indifferent Or because such a fountaine or such a streame hath beene dedicated to an idoll may not I therefore baptise a childe in the water proceeding from the same fountaine or streame for to take of this water or that water is neither forbidden nor commanded and therefore indifferent But to handle the point a little more distinctly If things indifferent once polluted in respect of all sacred vse become stained rags and abhomination then I would know whether this be for a time or euerlasting if for a time onely for what time and whether eight and fortie yeeres be not sufficient to wash it away Or if it be an euerlasting staine then I demand whether those particular things onely which were actually dedicated to idols be so stained or whether this staine shall euerlastingly be imputed to the whole kinde To affirme the latter were a hard and vnaduised censure and contrarie to their owne practise For what though some belles haue beene rung to the sacrifice of idols may no bell therefore bee rung to the seruice of the liuing God and shall not onely the particular abused be counted abhominable but shall those innocent things which neuer were so abused bee eternally blemished vndoubtedly this is but a fancie which hath no warrant from the words of Esay for hee speaketh plainly of the couerings of idols which without doubt were particularly abused to idolatrie But if the staine sticke onely to the particular thing actually polluted then this argument cannot greatly be vrged against the surplesse for not many of Queene Maries surplesses doe now remaine and if they did the matter were soone remedied and time it selfe in short time would weare them away Neither can it be at all vrged against the crosse in baptisme for a popish Priest maketh one crosse and the Minister of the Gospell makes an other heere are diuers indiuiduall actions and consequently diuers particular crosses therefore in this case the pollution of the one cannot spot and defile the other Yet what if that very particular polluted the pollution being taken away may bee imploied in the seruice of Almightie God Did not Gideon sacrifice to the Lord the oxe that was dedicate to Baal and burne it with the wood that grew in the groue of Baal If it bee replied that hee had a commandement it is true but profound Augustine thinketh that this commandement extends to vs also and thereupon gathereth this generall doctrine that things dedicated to idols may be imploied to the honour of the true God And this seemes
an other it is often ioined with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stumbling-blocke may be expounded by it For whereas a Christian should go forward in the way of godlinesse a scandall may be called a word or a deed which is laide as a blocke in his way whereby he may fall or stumble or any way be hindred in his vertuous course Scandall is of two sorts giuen or taken to giue scandall or to scandalize is to doe or say any thing which is apt to prouoke vnto sinne by greeuing the godly wounding the weake reioicing the wicked Some things doe scandalize because they haue a scandalizing nature as all sinne and wickednesse Some things doe scandalize accidentally because they are scandalously vsed and so things indifferent may become scandalous First when they are deuised for an euill purpose as the Eunomian heretikes deuised to powre water but once in Baptisme and not thrise to crosse the doctrine of the Trinitie In which age if any should haue left the custome of the Church in applying it thrise and haue followed the Eunomians in doing it but once hee should haue giuen a very scandalous example for he might haue beene probably thought to haue fauoured their heresie whose example he followed Secondly when things originally deuised for good are abused to euill As in Spaine certaine hereukes abused the thrise applying of water in Baptisme to signifie three gods which gaue an occasion to Gregorie as also to the Councell of Toledo to take order that in Spaine it should be applied but once Thirdly a thing indifferent may become scandalous in regard of the circumstance of time person or place as for example if one in Spaine after the constitution of Toledo should haue applied water thrice this though done in simplicity had beene scandalous in regard of the time because heretikes did then vse it to strengthen their heresy of three gods Moreouer although meats forbidden by the ceremoniall law after the death of Christ became indifferent yet if a weak brother not perswaded of the indifferency should professe himself offended theÌ„ thy eating in his presence should be scandalous in respect of the person Againe though meat offered to Idols might lawfully be eaten yet to eate in the temple of the Idoll were euill in appâ—arance and scandalous in respect of the place because it might seeme to bee done in honour of the idoll so it might greeue the godly and be an occasion of falling to thy weake brother and harden the idolaters in their impietie A scandall taken not giuen is when that which is not scandalously done is traduced as scandalous either by errour or calumniation By errour as when therest of the Tribes were offended with the tribe of Ruben Gad and the halfe tribe of Manasses for erecting an altar vpon the borders of Iordan which they supposed to be erected for sacrifice but was indeed onely a memoriall that they had a part in the God of Israel of which when they were truely informed they corrected their errour they rested satisfied and all imagination of scandall was taken away By calumniation a good thing may be blamed for scandalous as when Christ himselfe to the disobedient was made a stone to stumble at and a rock of offence Hitherto what scandall is and of the kindes of scandall now let vs apply all this to the Church of England We are accused for retaining many scandalous ceremonies but is the scandall giuen or is it onely taken If we giue any scandall let it appeere wherin to whom And first is there any ceremony in our Church which is of a scandalizing nature And to begin with the Surples is it a thing in the owne nature simplie vnlawfull not so for those which most spurne at it both in England and Geneua confesse it to be a thing in the owne nature indifferent and that very man who called it a marke and sacrament of abhomination vseth these very words The trueth is that I dare not be author to any to forsake his pastorall charge for the inconuenience thereof and giueth this reason because preaching is the absolute commandement of God and therefore ought not to be laide aside for a simple inconuenience or vncomelinesse of a thing which in the owne nature is indifferent And of the same iudgement is Beza But of all other things the crosse in Baptisme doth most sticke in mens mindes let vs therefore consider whether that be of a scandalizing nature Now if the crosse be simplie vnlawfull wherein consisteth this vnlawfulnesse is the very making of a crosse a thing so repugnant to godlinesse that whosoeuer shall make it though it be but with his finger shall presently sinne but this to my knowledge no man obiects for they allow it in banners and coines and such ciuill respects Is there anie thing blameable in the thing signified but that without all controuersie is a most religious dutie What is it then which is so offensiue in the crosse They tell vs plainely that though it be the word of God that we should not be ashamed of the crosse of Christ yet it is not the word of God that we should be put in remembrance and obseruation of it by two lines drawne a crosse and a little before this bringeth in a new word into the church But I hope my brethren will consider that wee vse it not as a thing necessarie but onely as a thing indifferent and it hath beene declared that the Church may appoint things indifferent which are not commanded in the word and yet this is not to bring in a new word or if it be then all Christan Churches are bringers in of a new word But they thinke that this is to mingle the inuentions of men with the Sacraments of God And why so wee teach that a childe is perfectly baptised before he be crossed and wee confesse that such as are baptised without crossing haue the full perfection of baptisme And though we make a signe at the time of baptisme yet wee doe it not as a part of baptisme In the old law they named the childe at circumcision as we doe at baptisme Was this to mingle the inuention of man with the sacraments of God the Church of Geneua vseth Godfathers shall this also be in the same condemnation but this crossing they say is superstitiously and wickedly to make a new sacrament For answer whereunto may it please them to remember that euerie significant signe is not a sacrament For a sacrament properly is a 21 signe and a seale of the righteousnesse of faith that is of the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto vs and apprehended by a true and a liuely faith And therefore a sacrament is not onely a signe to signifie but also a seale of the liuing God establishing our hearts in the couenant of grace Whereby it is apparent that the crosse is farre different from a sacrament
taking of offence which points are already in ample maner performed by the church of England But it will be replied that many things are lawfull which are not expedient meats offered to idols were lawfull yet euill to him that eateth offensiuely So our garments may be lawful yet euill to him that weareth them offensiuely So the crosse may be lawfull yet euill to them that vse it offensiuely And thought the offence commeth by the weaknesse of our brother yet charitie bindeth vs to refraine from that which offendeth our brother And they stand much vpon Pauls protestation that he would eate no flâ—sh so long as the world standeth rather then hee would offend his brother The answer whereunto may bee this that the case is vnlike for first those meats whereof S. Paul doth speake were matters of priuate action of common life But we speake of the publike ceremonies of our Church Secondly S. Paul was at his owne choice no law restraining his libertie but our ceremonies are commanded by lawfull authoritie Thirdly S. Paul by forbearing flesh did preiudice none but himselfe But wee in forbearing the ceremonies should preiudice the authority of the Prince Fourthly S. Pauls practise did further and not hinder the course of his Ministerie but as the case now standeth our refusall of ceremonies might be a meanes to silence our selues and to stoppe the course of our preaching which is a dutie so necessarie that it may not be omitted no not for feare of a scandall Fiftly though eating of those meats were offensiue to some yet the not eating we doe not finde to haue beene offensiue to any But in our ceremonies some are offended because they are vsed and some are offended because they are not vsed and that more iustly because the not vsing of a thing so commanded is disobedience to the Prince and may prooue a very scandalous and pernicious example If they say that charitie bindeth me to respect the one I answer that the same charitie bindeth mee to regard the other and dutie bindeth me to honour and obey my Prince Wherefore in a mixt congregation what shall I doe for both will be offended the one if I vse them the other if I vse them not Surely in such a case I thinke it my part after feruent praier diligent studie and Christian conference to consult with mine owne conscience and finding the thing commanded to bee no way contrarie to the word of God I will hold it my dutie to obey my Prince And as for those which shall be offended with my fact I will in the spirit of meekenesse both publikely and priuately render them a reason of my doing instructing them from time to time in the doctrine of things indifferent and the dutie of a subiect to his Prince But if they will not be thus satisfied if they refuse to hearken and still continue stiffe in their owne opinions let them take heed lest the saying of Aquinas may be applied vnto them Concerning the scandall of little ones saith he wee must obserue that for the auoiding thereof a man is bound to deferre the vse of lawfull things so long till the scandall may bee remoued by a reason rendered But if the reason being rendred the scandall doe still remaine now it seemeth not to proceed of ignorance or infirmitie but of malice and so shall belong to the scandall of Pharisees 36 Moreouer some are so tender that they are offended not onely at things formerly abused but euen at the names of vanished abuses The moneths of the yeere were sometimes dedicated to heathen Idols this very moneth wherein I speake to Iuno the daies to the planets this very day to the Sunne Our Chronicles testifie that Wednesday and Friday were so called of Woden and Frea the Idols of the Saxons All those names were imposed and abused to Idolatry but shall we therfore thinke that all which vse these names speake scandalously by countenancing Idolatrie It may bee that some of our Churches called by the names of Saints had their names not only as memorials but were also superstitiously dedicated to the honour of Saints and shall it therefore now bee imagined that the very vse of these names is a scandalous point God for bid The superstition and Idolatry are worne away the names remaine only as ciuill names and may bee so vsed for distinction sake as may be iustified by Scripture For the Prophet Daniell was called Belteshazzar according to the name of the God of Nabuchodonosor yet the Prophet inspired by the Spirit of God speaking of himselfe calleth himselâ—e Belteshazzar The Citie of Athens was so named of Pallas and therein was a street called the streete of Mars both which names proceeded from Idolatrie yet who can accuse Saint Luke of speaking scandalously in calling the Cittie Athens and the streete the streete of Mars Saint Paul sailed in a ship of Alexandria whose badge was Castor and Pollux which as Saint Crisostome truly obserueth were Idols Yet S. Lukes pen did not write scandalously in describing the ship by the names of Castor and Pollux Neither was it a scandalous point in S. Paul to saile in the ship for S. Luke vsed the name only historically as a ciuill name of distinction and S. Paul knew that the earth is the Lords and all that therein is And therefore in the tempest he did not inuocate Castor and Pollux but the true God Wherefore the names of times places and persons scandalously imposed may be vsed for distinction sake without scandall Many take offence at their brethren for vsing the names of Christmas Candlemas and the like as though it were a scandalous peece of Popery but admit that these feastiuities had their names of the masse though some learned men are of an other opinion yet suppose it were so those that are offended with this word Christmas as fauouring Poperie might bee offended with Bolteshazzar as fauouring Paganisme But they will say it renueth the memorie of the abhominable masse be it so and withall it may renew the memorie of our deliuery from the masse So the names of the daies of the weeke may put vs in minde how this land was sometimes drowned in Paganisme and the same may put vs in minde how it hath pleased God to deliuer vs from Paganisme Wherfore though men in such points may vse their libertie yet in such peremptorie maner to condemne their brethren is against charitie And thus much of scandall 37 Lastly they propose vs the paterne of reformed Churches which haue reiected these ceremonies as though it were our dutie therein to follow them The wordes of the admonition are these Is a reformation good for France and can it be euil for England Is discipline meete for Scotland and is it vnprofitable for this Realme Surely God hath set these examples before your eies to incourage you c. Concerning the reformed Churches I beseech God to poure his blessings
questions of discipline professeth that hee misliketh the frowardnesse of those men which for light scruples depart from the publike consent and hee protested to the English Church at Franckford that in externall rites he did show himselfe easie and flexible Wherefore I wish that you which in other things so magnifie and admire the person of Caluin would in this point follow the sound iudgement graue counsell and tractable disposition of Caluin But if you suppose those things which are imposed vpon you to be impieties then you dissent from M. Caluin who though he censured many things in our Church somewhat sharpely yet hee confessed that there was no manifest impietie and therefore the supposed blemishes of our Church hee accounted and tearmed tolerable but if you esteeme them intolerable remember you are men consider that you may be deceiued and therefore examine your grounds againe and againe without partiality and carry this Christian minde to forsake your selues to follow the trueth If you be ledde by example and pin your iudgement vpon other mens fleeues you must be content to bee tolde what an injurie you doe to the Church of England in suffering the opinions of priuate men to ouer-ballance with you the publike determination of such a nationall Church But if you will needs looke vpon examples then behold the former examples of Caluin and of that glorious martyr master Hooper who though hee did long withstand yet was not so wedded to his owne opinion but that at last after long conference hee reformed himselfe and yeelded to the publike iudgement of the Chuch of England 32 If you relie vpon reasons artificially deduced are they probable or demonstratiue if probabilities onely what trueth is there in the world so sound but a carping wit may finde some probabilities against it The holy Scripture hath beene oppugned though without all trueth yet with some probabilitie And reason it selfe can borrow a reason from nature to reason against faith But how shall the conscience of a subiect bee discharged in disobeying the commandement of his Prince vpon deceiueable probabilities Indeed if you can produce any one necessarie and demonstratiue reason to prooue that the things imposed vpon you are contrarie to Gods word then it must needs bee confessed that you are bound in conscience to refraine for we must rather obey God then man But what if you thinke a reason to be necessarie when it is not may not you be taken for such as haue vnnecessarilie troubled the Church of God your reasons out of Scripture against our orders when they come to the scanning prooue no such matters of necessitie as you pretend As for example those places which you vrge in such peremptory maner for the lay presbiterie wherein consisteth the life and soule of your desired discipline And whosoeuer shall examine the quotations of your admonitions to the Parliament shall finde them in some part violations of Gods holie word What is it to abuse the maiestie of Scripture if this benot 40 But peraduenture you will replie that howsoeuer your arguments be in themselues yet to you they seeme inuinciblie to conclude our orders to be vnlawful according to the saying of S. Paul I know and am perswaded through the Lord Iesus that there is nothing vncleane of it selfe but vnto him that iudgeth any thing to be vncleane to him it is vncleane In regard wherof many of you pretend that the conformitie required is against your conscience but beware lest this conscience proove an erronious conscience If you say that an erronious conscience bindeth so farre that whatsoeuer is done against it is sinne in the doer and therefore though conformitie in it selfe were lawfull yet because you iudge it vnlawfull in you it were sinne If this be your replie then tell mee I praie you whether the errour of the conscience take awaie the sinne of the soule in disobeying the lawfull commandement of lawfull authoritie If it bee cleere that it doe not because transgression is transgression and sinne is sinne though an erroneous conscience crie a thousand times to the contrarie Then see I beseech you into what perplexities you cast your selues If you should conforme you tell vs that you should sinne because it is against your conscience and if you do not conforme wee must tell you that you sinne because it is vniustifiable disobedience Thus if your conscience vpon iust trial shall proue erronious you are euery way insnared and intangled but if you stand vpon the cleering of your conscience as though it were void of all errour then let it so appeare by the holy Scripture and let not such vehement affirmations bee supported by such weake and feeble inducements It behoueth you which withstand the ceremonies established by the sacred authoritie of such a religious Prince and such a nationall Church to stand vpon such pregnant and infallible proofes as may vndoubtedly perswade the conscience that the things commanded are vnlawfull or if you cannot then without all question you are bound in conscience to reforme your conscience or at lest to suspend your iudgement But how shall this be done If heeretofore you haue fixed both eies vpon the one side vouchsafe now to cast one eie vpon the learning wisdome grauitie of the other If heretofore you haue greedily deuoured the bookes of the one vouchsafe now without preiudice to reade and consider what is said by the other If heretofore you haue looked vpon your owne reasons through the vapour of affection and therfore haue conceiued them to be greater and goodlier then in trueth they were dispell now all mists and clouds of partiallitie and pray to God in humilitie that his precious trueth may shine vnto you If you doe thus then peraduenture those reasons which heeretofore seemed giants in your eies may prooue like little dwarfes and those which heeretofore obtruded themselues to a minde sophisticate with partialitie as demonstrations may perhaps appeare to a pure and single eie nothing else but slender and sillie collections And for the better performance let mee intreat you to haue alwaies one eie fixed vpon the nature of things indifferent and the other vpon the dutie of a subiect to his Soueraigne 41 Some men will say that they could bee content to yeeld but onely because they haue so long withstood by preaching and practising the contrarie Those men in so saying approoue the orders of the Church of England for lawfull and condemne their owne former and present resistance for vnlawfull and therefore if they carrie so tender a conscience as they pretend why then doe they not leaue that disobedience which their conscience iudgeth vnlawful and imbrace that obedience which they know to be lawful But they imagine that in so doing their credit should be blemished with a note of inconstancie As though it were any credit to bee constant in euill things or any discredit to change for the better Indeed a good name is a precious
ointment and a good reportis much to be regarded but if the question come betweene you and the Prince the church and the lawes vnder which you liue I hope it is no disparagement for you to bow to bend and to learne obedience And I would wish that such men which set so high a price vpon their owne reputation would propose vnto themselues the example of S. Paul who sought not his owne profit but the profit of many that they might bee saued To seeke the good of an other is charitie To seeke the glorie of Christ is pietie To preferre our owne credite before our obedience to the Prince in a matter of this nature is pride and arrogancie Behold the gracious humilitie of Iob Loe I will laie my hand vpon my mouth I haue spoken once yet will I answer no more yea twice yet will I proceed no further Of all the famous works of Saint Austin not one of them hath purchased him greater glory then his retractations wherein hee diligently collecteth his former errours and ingenuously reformeth them Yea Saint Austin hauing followed Saint Cyprian in expounding a place of Scripture and afterward finding a better exposition in Tyconius the Donatist did forsake both Cyprian and himselfe and thought it no discredit to reuoke his former opinion If you haue the humilitie of Saint Austin you would rather seeke Iesus Christ then your owne credit And such ingenuous dealing would be honorable in the eies of true iudgement If Saint Austin forsooke his owne errours to follow a trueth discouered by a Donatist how much more should you imbrace the trueth being discouered vnto you by the reuerend Fathers of our Church 42 Some perhaps will say they could be content in respect of themselues but they refraine in regard of the people But who are they which haue so misperswaded the people haue not sundrie of you in open audience disgraced the gouernment of our Church as Antichristian and aduanced your owne desired discipline as the ordinance of God haue you not framed the conceits of the people to imagine that they verily behold and see the whole current of the Scripture running that way haue not your inuectiues against the Church of England beene as a burning fire in their bosome Therefore it behooueth you which heeretofore haue beene ring-leaders to disobedience heereafter to shew your selues perswaders and patterns of obedience and as heeretofore being missed your selues you haue missed others so being resolued your selues it is your dutie to resolue others And our hope is that those which are otherwise minded the Lord will in time reueale it vnto them For the furtherance whereof I wish my brethren of the Ministerie would consider these inducements following 43 First the charge which Christ gaue to Peter Peter dost thou loue me feede my lambes c. If the loue of the Lord Iesus be in you forsake not the lambes which he hath bought with his precious bloud Will you leaue a matter of substance for a matter of ceremonie a matter of necessitie for a matter of indifferencie Alas deerely beloued there is a necessitie laide vpon vs and woe be to mee if I preach not the Gospell A graue and learned Diuine and one that fauoured your reformation would sometimes demaund as I haue beene enformed by a Minister of his acquaintance whether a gold ring were to be refused for a straw cleauing vnto it so his iudgement was that as the gold ring is rather better without the straw so the Gospell were better without the ceremonies yet hee did not compare our ceremonies to venome or poison which might make the gold ring to bee refused but onely to a straw so hee thought them matters of some inconuenience but not of any infectious or dangerous consequence If you my brethren will but obserue this moderation then I trust you will not forsake the preaching of the Gospell which is a ring of gold although there were cleauing vnto it a ceremonie as it were of straw 44 Secondly remember the commandement of God Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers behold the face of our gracious Soueraigne and consider what a griefe it must needs bee vnto him to see those which are indued with learning and vertue not to haue learned the vertue of obedience Wee all acknowledge him to be supreme gouernour ouer all persons causes ecclesiastical and temporall is he gouernour of all persons and shall he not gouerne you Do you acknowledge him gouernour ouer all causes shall be not appoint you whether your garments shall be blacke or white round or square shall wee reach the people obedience and be our selues examples of disobedience I pray you be aduised in your courses and wisely weigh with your selues that solemne oth which you haue taken to the Princes supremacie when you receiued degrees academicall or holie orders Ministeriall or any institution to spirituall promotion in the Church of England and consider without partialitie whether these your proceedings be correspondent to your oth or no. 45 Thirdly regard your mother the Church of England so wailing and wringing her hands to see such distraction in her own bowels such glorious stars to lose their light such links to be broken off from her golden chaine ô what a rent what a grieuous rent is made in the vnseamed coat of Iesus Christ you refuse the crosse and surples for feare of a scandall but this renting of the Church is indeed a scandall a most heauie and Iam entable scandall And this is told in Gath and published in the streets of Ashkelon it makes the daughters of the Philistines reioice and the daughters of the vncircumcised triumph For the Papists sport themselues and clap their hands while the godly grieue and mourne in Sion The Scripture speaking of the debate between the seruants of Abraham Lot doth adde that the Cananites and the Perizzites dwelt then in the land to signifie that though their contention in it selfe was euill yet it was worse because the enemies of God which would reioice at it were then in the land So beloued I say vnto you these contentions are euill in themselues but the worse because the papist is now in the land He delighteth himselfe and through your strifâ—s taketh ocsion to blaspheme our religion Hee deuiseth and plotteth to vndermine both Church and common-wealth while we are contending one with another And as you reioice the Papists so you encourage the Brownists who builde their conclusions vpon your premises and put your speculations in practise For haue not your ringleaders proclaimed that our gouernment by Bishops is popish our liturgie popish our ministring of baptisme with the crosse popish our kneeling at the Communion popish our garments for publike administration popish our holidaies popish and almost euerie thing popish Wherefore the Brownists hauing learned that the Pope is Antichrist and the present Church of Rome Babylon and hearing a voice from heauen crying